Mystery At Thunderbourough Park
by fairywings81
Summary: Espa Roba and his rival's siblings are taken as ransom for their dueling talent. Can learn to be friends in order to save them?Completed with Ch. 15
1. The Invitation From No One

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Chapter One-The Invitation From No One

Espa Roba was sitting on his front balcony, watching the world go by. He really enjoyed this time of day, when his brothers were gone. Well at least three of them. His baby brother, Little Espa was down for his late nap. Jon, Christien and Andy were in school. Espa himself, had dropped out of school at fifteen, when their parents walked out on him and the younger Robas, so there was no need to worry about truancy. He was free to walk around Domino City. Not today, though. Today, he'd stayed home, and cleaned house, and took care of the younger Espa, who was suffering from a slight ear infection. He watched their neighbor's cat scurry up a tree, when a stray dog barked, giving chase. He laughed out loud. "Poor Mac." Just then, he was alerted to the sounds of Little Espa waking up in his crib. He stood up with a sigh to check on him. "I'm coming,E…"He muttered as he walked inside. 

Little E was a mess of spit up and baby boogers. "Boder…" He cried softly when Espa walked in. He was wiping fiercely at the snot, trying to get it off, but only succeeded in getting it on his little hands. 

If he hadn't looked so miserable, Espa would've laughed at his baby brother. Instead, he picked him up gently, and started changing him around, talking to him quietly. "Guess what,E? The rest of the gang gets out of school in an hour, then we're going to go out for dinner." He wiped his nose with a wipe, and put him into a clean diaper, and snap up jeans. He paced with the baby, laying his head on his shoulder. "You feelin' any better, Baby?" He asked him. 

"uh uh." Little E clung to Espa with his little fists clenching Espa's shirt. 

Espa sighed and looked around. "Let's go get your medicine. It's about time for another dose anyway." He carried the youngest Roba into the kitchen. "Now, where did I put that bottle of Children's Tylenol?" He looked around, bouncing the fussing E a little to settle him down. "Ah! Found it." He set E in his high chair, and handed him a bowl of dry cereal to gnaw on, while he prepared the proper measurement of the red liquid expertly. He administered the medicine to E, who took it easily enough. "Good job,E!" Espa smiled proudly. The baby smiled at his older brother, and ate his cereal. 

At that moment, the doorbell rang, causing the elder Espa to jump. "Be right back, E. Don't move." He went to the door ,and answered it curious as to who would be visiting at this time of day. "Yes?" 

The tall man with shades answered smiled a little at the boy with blue hair. "Are you Espa Roba?" 

"I am. Who wants to know?" Espa asked, immediately on the defensive. Too many people had gone to lengths to shame his family ever since Joey Wheeler exposed him at Kaiba's Battle City tournament. 

"That is not important." The man spoke simply. "I have only been instructed to give you this." He held out a thick, padded envelope. "You're supposed to sign for it." He added, holding out a pad with a pen. 

Espa stared at the plain envelope with no address. "Who sent it?" He asked the man , as he proceeded to sign the pad of paper. 

"Can't tell you that." The man said, as he turned away. "Have a nice day." 

Espa sighed in exasperation. Just what he needed. Mystery packages. "Well, I'm not opening it." He said to himself, as he set the envelope on the mail table. He walked back into the kitchen, and started to clean it up, and prepare his brothers' snacks for after school.

"Hey,Espa! Guess what?! I made the soccer team this year!" Jonathan Roba exclaimed the minute he and his two younger brothers walked into the house. "It'll be great! Weevil Underwood's little sister is on the team over in Jaxson." He beamed proudly. 

"Wow! Good work, Jon!" Espa smiled at his brother, who was next to oldest after him. Then he turned his attention to Christien. "How was your math test?" 

"Boring. What else?" Christien muttered, before going into the kitchen for his snack. 

"Don't mind him, Big Brother. He had a bad day in school today." Jon advised Espa, before joining Christien at the table in the kitchen. 

Espa sighed, scooping up Andy. "And how was your day?" 

"Weally Good." The toothless Andy responded with a smug grin. "We finger painted." 

Espa laughed, and carried the five-year-old into the kitchen for his usual juice and cracker snack. "It's good to have you guys home again. It gets lonely after a while." 

"How's Little Espa?" Jonathan asked him. 

"He's doing a little better. His ear is still bothering him though." Espa replied, while he poured more juice into Andy's special cup that had a lid. The little boy had grown out of sippy cups last summer, but Andy liked them. "I've got a surprise for you guys tonight." He waited for them to look over at him, before he continued. "We're going out to eat." 

"Hooray!" All three chorused, as they got up and tried to give Espa a group hug, which ended with all four of them on the floor, and Baby Espa giggling from his high chair. 

"Ow.." Espa moaned softly, as he pulled himself from the Roba dog pile. "I'm going to get changed. Jonathan, can you please clean Little E up? Chris, you're in charge of his diaper bag." 

"What I can do, Espa?" Andrew asked, not wanting to be left out of anything. 

His older brother smiled. "You've got appliance duty. That's a very important job, so we don't pay too much. Make sure anything we're not using is turned off, okay?" When Andy nodded, Espa ruffled his hair, and headed to his bedroom. On his way there, he spied the plain envelope again. His curiosity got the better of him and he picked it up, walking into his room. 

Espa sat on the bed, and stared at the envelope. "Who could've sent it?" He muttered to himself. Finally, it wasn't enough just to stare at the closed envelope. He opened it. Inside the envelope, there was tiny business card sized piece of paper. "What in the…" Espa pulled it out, and looked down at the writing. 

__

Thunderbourouh Amusement Park presents:

Duelist Day 

September 20th starting at 9am.

Espa gawked. "Thunderbourouh? I've never heard of it. However, dueling again would certainly be more entertaining than staying around here. My brothers would love it." He again wondered who had sent the invitation. He shook his head, and set the slip of paper under his duelist disk, and started changing. He wondered if anyone else had gotten these anonymous invitations. He guessed he would find out next weekend. For now, he had more pressing matters to tend to.

"Come on, Big Brother! We're all ready!" Christien's voice wafted in from the living room. 

"I'm coming." He tied his blue, white striped shoes, and walked out his bedroom. "Alright, you guys. You know the drill. Stay together, and let me lead." He took the baby into his arms, and the five Robas left their small apartment sized house. 

"Espa, are you feeling okay?" Jonathan was stabbing at a piece of chicken on his Denny's plate. "You've been awfully quiet since we got here." 

Espa smiled, shaking his head. "Yeah. I was just thinking about next weekend." Really, what he'd been doing was trying call his ESP into working. He wanted to know who had sent that invitation. 

"What's next weekend?" Christien wanted to know. 

"Well, I got a very interesting invitation in the mail today for a place called Thunderbourough Amusement Park. It's Duelist Day next Saturday. Seems as though I'm invited." 

"Aw…how come we can't go?" Andy asked, pouting. "We helped you all those times." 

Espa laughed. "Of course you're coming, Andy! We're a team. We work together." 

"Can we really, Espa?" Jonathan's eyes were shining with joy. 

"Of course! Now come on you guys. Eat up. We can discuss rides later." He laughed, as he handed Baby Espa another cracker to nibble on. He was secretly worrying about the anonymous host of the day. He hoped he wasn't walking his precious brothers into a trap of some kind. 


	2. Espa's Anxiety

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Chapter Two-Espa's Anxiety

The week was dragging on for the five Roba brothers,but it seemed to drag on even more so for the eldest Espa. He hadn't slept well at all since that night at Denny's. Nightmares robbed him of the sleep he would've gotten. Horrible dreams of him betting his brothers in a duel, and losing them. More than once, he'd gotten up in the middle of the night, to patrol his brothers' rooms, to make sure they were still there. The more he thought about it, the more Espa was certain that his brothers would not be able to accompany him to Thunderbourough. 

Two days now remained before the date on the piece of paper. Espa had yet to tell his brothers he'd decided they'd be safer at home. He would've done just that, except something happened that morning that made him change his mind. 

He'd been cleaning up the kitchen after sending his three brothers to school, and putting Little E down for his morning nap, when the phone rang. This shocked Espa. No one called the Robas. He picked it up on the fourth ring. 

"Hello?"

"Don't even think about leavin' your brothers,Roba." 

"Who is this?" Espa's voice was shaking a little.

"Don't matter. If you fail to bring them, you will not be permitted to duel." 

Espa gasped. Something is definitely not right here, he thought to himself. "Alright. I'll bring them. They're not going to get hurt, are they?" 

"We'll see." The person hung up,leaving Espa unnerved. 

"This is bad…very bad." He sat down in a chair, and rubbed his temples. There had been a bad vibe from that caller. He wondered if the rest of the duelists invited had received similar calls. 

Espa stood up after a minute, and started to make the usual after school snacks. Then he looked in their pantry, sadly. There really wasn't much left for them to eat for dinner. "I need to go find some small work again." He muttered to himself. He could normally convince Weevil Underwood's mom to let him help in her garden for a couple of days. It gave him enough to buy staple meal items for him and his brothers. Sadly, it also meant dealing with Weevil, and his constant taunting about the Robas being cheaters. Well, its for his brothers, so he'd endure it. 

"Just hired someone this morning, Espa. I'm really sorry." Mrs. Underwood said sympathetically. 

"Thanks anyway,Mrs. Underwood." Espa replied dully, as he pushed Little E's stroller down the street. 

"We touble?" The two and a half-year-old asked, as he sucked on a lemon ice pop. 

"Not at all!" Espa tried to sound reassuring. "Your big brother has a back up plan, of course!" Just what that plan was, Espa wasn't sure now. Long ago, he'd given up dueling for money. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have another go at it though. It was his last resort, and, they needed the money. "Yes, Big Brother has a back up plan!" He turned the stroller up their drive way. 

"It's about time you got home,Roba." Joey Wheeler and Rex Raptor stood the Robas' front porch, looking a little annoyed. Each of them was holding an envelope similar to the one Espa himself had received a week ago. 

"What do you two want?" Espa asked, as he freed his baby brother from the stroller, and unlocked the door to the house. 

"Did you get one?" Rex looked at Espa. 

"One what?" Espa questioned. He turned to go inside, holding the door open for Joey and Rex. 

Joey walked into the Robas' small house, in awe. "You and your brothers live in this small house? How can you all fit?" 

"We make do." Espa spoke sharply, wary of the two duelists in his living room. 

"Easy, Roba. We're not here to tease." Joey said, taken aback by Espa's attitude. "We're a little leery of this Duelist Day thing." 

Rex nodded. "Yeah. You did get invited, didn't you?" 

"Of course I did!" Espa replied, as he proceeded to change Baby Espa's soiled clothing. "Did you two get a phone call this morning?" He asked now, relieved to have others to talk to about this. 

"Yeah. So did Underwood." Joey stated. "We're supposed to bring our siblings. Serenity's out of town though. I wonder if I could bring Lacey." 

"Wheeler, you're thick! There's something not right about this." Espa exclaimed. "E, hold still!" He cried, as his brother kicked him in the jaw by accident. 

"I'm bringing Colette." Rex added. 

"No! Don't you two see? They want our most prized possessions in exchange for our duels or something." 

Rex and Joey looked at Espa as if he was mad. 

"It's true…I guarantee you." Espa insisted in a low voice. 

"Maybe it's because it's an amusement park, but I just don't see any harm in bringing the kiddies." Joey said stubbornly. "Besides, I really don't have a choice. It's the only way I get money." 

"Me either. Colette's parents booked me months ago." Rex put in. 

Espa sighed. "No one will watch my brothers." He could see now the pattern whoever had invited them had set. Each of them had children in their care. "Weevil will be bringing his sister Kendra?" 

"Yep. We talked to Underpants already." Joey said, with a look of disgust. "The person that called him said when he signed for the letter, he'd agreed to bring his sister, and himself. If he tried to back out, there would be consequences." 

"So we're all trapped then." Espa concluded with a shudder. "What have I done!" 

"Hey, how bad can it be?" Joey asked. "I mean, they'll probably have us bet on our siblings or charges. If we lose, then we lose them." 

"THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING!" Rex and Espa exclaimed in unison. This succeeded in startling Baby Espa into tears. 

"Look, why don't we just see what happens?" Espa asked, rushing to comfort his baby brother. "If it looks too dangerous for them, we'll just leave." 

"Sounds like a plan, Roba." Joey gave a thumbs up approval. "Anyway, I gotta go pick up Lacey from school." He headed for the front door. "I'll smell ya later,Raptor." 

Rex got up to follow Joey. "Yeah…later, Roba. " He closed the door behind him, leaving Espa to deal with the screaming baby. 

"Whoohoo! Big Brother's going to duel again!" Jon clapped Espa on the back. "Want me to find our equipment?" 

"No. I'm dueling legit this time." Espa replied sternly. "No more cheating for the Robas." 

"Cool! Good route, Brother." Chris nodded his approval. "So, who are you dueling tonight?" 

"A boy called Cedric. He's not too bright to begin with. I've got a pretty good chance to win us some money for groceries. Come on." 

It was a silent parade of Robas that walked into the Dueling Center that night. "You four get settled somewhere. I'm going to check in." Espa told his four brothers. Jon had Baby Espa on his back, per usual. 

"Espa Roba, at seven o' clock?" The attendant looked bored. 

"Yeah." He was given a number. 

"We'll call your number when we have ring ready." 

Espa didn't have a long wait. When he and his brothers walked into the ring, he gasped. Cedric had the likeness of a giant. "Hello."

"Hi." Cedric extended a hand to Espa. "I'm Cedric." 

"Espa Roba." Espa was really surprised at the manners Cedric had. He began to shuffle his deck. "Want to cut them?" 

"Sure. Cut mine?" Cedric took Espa deck,and cut it in threes. 

Espa did the same for Cedric. "Let's do this…I have to get to the grocers for my brothers."

Cedric nodded. "I know the feeling,Roba. I have three little sisters that I take care of." 

His response stunned Espa. So, it seemed they both needed to win. Well, I'm sure we'll both duel our best. "You can start, Cedric." He spoke kindly, not his usual snobbish duel talk.

Cedric nodded, and began their duel. "So, did you hear about the Amusement Park Day?" 

Espa stopped in the middle of laying an Earth shaker card. "Yes. Were you invited too?" 

"Yeah. My sisters and me are leaving tomorrow to go." 

"Same here." Espa finished his turn, and looked at Cedric. He felt inclined to warn the boy of the things he suspected he didn't know. "Be careful with your sisters. Keep them close to you at all times." 

"What's Espa so worried about?" Jonathan looked at Christien. "He sounds like he's afraid something's going to happen to us at that park." 

Christien shrugged. "He's always been a little overprotective of us. Can we blame him? With all the bullies and all?" 

"True, but I wonder what's caused him to look so rigid every time the amusement park is mentioned. There's something he's not telling us, I bet you." Jon shifted Little Espa into his lap. "Do you think we should ask him?" 

"Maybe we should. I don't like it when he worries so much." Christien stated, watching the duel. 

"Alright. After the duel, I'll talk to him. " Jon reassured Christien. 

"Good. I don't like this at all." His brother shuddered. 


	3. Thunderbourough,the Abandoned Park

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Chapter Three-Thunderborough, the Abandoned Park

"Are we almost there, Espa?" Chris asked him from his seat behind Andy. They were on a charter bus. 

"I think so, Chris. Listen to me, all of you. Stay together in this place. Do not separate for anyone." Espa spoke a little sharper than he intended, earning him looks from Jon and Chris. 

"What do you mean, Big Brother? Aren't you going to be with us?" Jon questioned him. 

"I don't think so…I told you there is something funny about this whole thing." Espa said in a low voice. "We…we're going to be separated. I saw it in a vision last night." 

"Then why did we come?" Jon asked him. 

"We had to, in case we have to help someone else." Espa replied, which was the truth. He'd seen a lot more than he let on to his brothers. "Just make that promise to me. Stay together." 

"We promise." The older Robas chorused. Little Espa just giggled at them. 

"And keep Little E close." Espa added, worriedly. 

"No worries, Big Brother. Nothin's going to happen to E." Chris reassured him. 

Espa then turned to look out the window, watching the city pass by. He hoped that his brothers would be alright. It wasn't everyday they had to fend for themselves. 

"Hey,Roba…got a minute?" 

Espa turned to see Joey Wheeler standing by his seat,. Holding a little girl with teal hair. "Sure…What's up, Wheeler?" 

"I'm a little nervous about this whole thing." Joey sat down beside Espa, settling the girl in his lap. "I mean…what if we're supposed to bet our siblings or somethin'?" 

"That's barbaric!" Espa exclaimed. He had the feeling that Wheeler might be on to something though. 

"I know I know…Listen,Roba. I lied to you before. I'm not just baby sitting anyone. This is my cousin. " 

Espa smiled kindly at the girl, softening up a little. "Hey there…I'm Espa." 

"Lacey." She said plainly. She looked no more than six, but her voice was clear as a bell. 

"Eh…don't mind that." Joey said. "Her parents are having problems. I think it's rubbing off on her a bit." 

"Ah…." Espa looked at him. "Listen, Wheeler…I know we're not the best of friends, but I have a feeling we're going to need to work together to ensure our families' safety." 

Joey nodded. "Yeah…that's what Rex said too. We were trying to convince Underwood, but you know him. Mr. Indpendence." 

"I'll talk to him before we get there." Espa told him. "Besides, if he cares half as much for Kendra as we do for our relatives, he'll have to listen to me." 

"I hope so." Joey stroked his cousin's hair. "Hey, Lacey, are you ready for some fun?" 

"Yeah. I just wish Mommy and Daddy coulda camed." Lacey looked up at Joey. "They never play no mores." 

"Awww…don't cry on me, Lace. I'm sure they miss you too." Joey stood up with her, and Espa watched him go back to Rex and Weevil. 

When the bus stopped half an hour later, the Robas clamored out. Instantly, Espa's ears were ringing with the boys' excited shouts. "Guys! Remember our talk." Espa warned uselessly. His brothers were already through the entrance. "Guys! Wait for me!" Espa hurried to follow them. 

"Wow! Look, Espa! A whole park all for us!" Jon was gawking at the empty streets.

Espa stared too, a shiver running down his spine. Jon was right. The park looked like it hadn't been used in years. "Guys…come over. Stay with me." He called to them. 

"Can't we explore, Espa? Please?" Chris looked up at Espa imploringly. 

"Later. Right now, we've got to find out where this dueling event is supposed to take place." Espa took Little E from Jon, and held him close. The baby seemed to feel uneasy too, for he clung to his older brother tightly. "What's the matter, E?" He asked him worriedly. 

"Bad pwace." The baby stated, with a whimper. 

"Bad place?" Chris looked up at Espa. "How would he know? He's just a baby." 

"Maybe he inherited second Sight from someone else in our family, like I did." Espa suggested, as he cradled baby Espa in his arms. "At any rate,I think he's right. This doesn't look good at all." He followed the other duelists then. "Come on." 

"What do you make of this place?" Weevil Underwood asked Espa as they got closer to a booth that seemed to be checking them all in. 

"I don't know. ..are you worried?" Espa asked him. 

"Nah. I've been in worse places..Kendra, stop clinging to me." He scowled at his sister. 

"I don't like it, Weevil. I wanna go home. Please!" Kendra seemed to know things weren't, as they appeared either. 

"We're not leaving until I get revenge on Wheeler. Do you have a problem with that?" Weevil challenged her. "I told Ma I didn't wanna bring you." 

"Couldn't you've gotten revenge at home?" Kendra demanded. "Why'd it have to be here?" 

Espa scowled at the way Weevil treated his sister. "Underwood. There's a lot more at stake than you realize. They're in danger." He gestured around to all the children. "It's not about getting revenge. It's about winning your family back." Espa watched as Rex and his sister Monica signed in. "We could all lose them. Don't you understand? Please be careful." He stepped up to the booth then. 

"Espa Roba plus four." He told the man. 

The man nodded. "Your brothers are to go over there. House of Mirrors." He pointed the direction. "They'll be well taken care of, I assure you." 

Espa nodded, feeling a coldness settle in him. As they walked away from the booth, he turned to face his brothers. "Did you guys hear that? We're separated already." 

They all nodded. "Espa…what's going to happen to us?" Andy's voice quivered, clinging to his older brother. 

"Nothing. I promise. I'm going to win this tournament, and we'll be together before you know it." Espa knelt down, and hugged them all tightly. "Here, E…go stay with Jon, okay?" 

The baby wasn't having it though. Little E screamed and cried every time Espa tried to pry him off of his shirt. "NO! No GOING!" 

"E….." Espa sighed and finally pried him off, handing him to Jon. He gave Chris his diaper bag. "Stay together.." He choked out. 

"We will, Espa. Don't worry!" Jon called over Little E's shrieking, as they followed Kendra, Lacey and some girls they didn't know to the House of Mirrors. 


	4. Truces and New Friends

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Chapter Four-Truces and New Friends

Jonathan looked back to the duelists check in line, where Espa was standing with Joey and Rex, whose separate charges had already entered the house of mirrors. I hope Espa will be okay…I don't want to be away for too long. He rubbed Little E's back, as the baby Roba cried for his older brother. "Come on, E, we're here. Chris, Andy and I will protect you. "

"Hey, Roba. Come up here." Kendra Underwood's unpleasant voice could be heard over Baby Espa's crying clear as a bell. 

"Come on you guys. We might as well stick with people we know, even if it is Kendra." Jon led the other boys up to where Weevil's little sister was. "Uh..hey,Kendra." 

"It's Kenny, and don't forget it." The girl said softly. "So, what do you think the big deal is?" 

"We're not sure." Chris spoke up, as he shifted the heavy diaper bag. "What did Espa put in this thing, rocks?" 

"It can't be that heavy.." Jon said. He reached over, and unzipped it. Out tumbled diapers, E's pacifier (which Jon gave to his baby brother to soothe him.),and….their head sets. "Wow. Espa must've put these in here." 

"Those are going to come in handy." Chris looked at his brothers. "Come on." They walked into the House of Mirrors,as they all put their equipment on. "If we get separated, switch them on." Chris instructed. "Hopefully, we won't." 

Jon looked over at Kendra. "You can stick with us, if you want to. " 

"Are you nuts? No way!" Kendra left them gawking, and caught up to Monica Raptor. 

"Well, we tried…." Jon said to his brothers. 

"I'm hungry…." Andy looked up at Chris, clinging to his hand. 

"Maybe they'll be giving us food…"Chris picked him up. "Come on."

Back at registration, the only one who seemed to be listening to Espa was Joey. They were talking about how to rescue their relatives. 

"Do you think Lacey'll be all right?" Joey asked, looking over at Espa, worriedly. 

"I…I hope so. Maybe my brothers will find her, and take care of her. We can't be worrying about them, and dueling too." Espa said suddenly. It was as if something had suddenly hit him. "Hey, Wheeler….there's a good chance we might be put against each other again…." He said slowly. 

"Yeah? I'm sure we'll both be at our best, especially with our relatives' freedom at stake." Joey assured his friend, but Espa was shaking his head. 

"I haven't really dueled since Battle City. I've only dueled once, and they was against an easy guy. You…you will win." Espa concluded with a sigh. 

"That's not the Espa Roba I know. He doesn't "let" anyone win. Even after I figured out your scheme, you fought me. Come on, Roba, snap out of it. What happened to dueling for your brothers?" 

"You don't get it. If we're matched against each other, Joey, you're the better of us. You'll win." Espa looked behind them, at the House of Mirrors. "They're probably going to get stuck there, and it'll be my fault for bringing them! What kind of older brother am I?!" 

"The kind that goes as far as cheating in a major tournament to keep them from being picked on. Roba, if you don't pull yourself togetha,I'm goinna have to wack you. Your brothers are counting on you more than ever to win." Joey replied. 

"What if I don't though?" Espa looked at his friend in dismay. 

"Tell ya what. One of us has to win, right? Well whoever wins, frees the other's relatives. It's almost like what my pal Yugi did for me at Duelist Kingdom." 

Joey's reassuring smile gave Espa hope. "You're on,Wheeler. If I win, I'll be sure to take care of your cousin."

"And I win, I'll make sure to keep an eye on your brothers. I love those guys anyway." Joey promised. 

They were interrupted by the loud sound of a helicopter. Espa looked up at the sky, and gasped. "I don't believe it! It's Seto Kaiba!" 

"He's probably the one behind all this! I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!"

"Hang on, Wheeler. Something tells me his isn't. Look!" Espa pointed. In the distance, the friends saw Kaiba get off the helicopter with Mokuba. "See? He wouldn't bring Mokuba to something like this. He probably got invited, and threatened, just like the rest of us!" Espa watched in amazement, as the young businessman and his little brother went ahead of some unknown duelist, and signed them in. 

"I swear to you, if you touch one hair on my little brother's head, you are going to pay!" Kaiba threatened the receptionist. 

"Not to worry, Mr. Kaiba. Your brother, and all of our young guests will be well taken care of." 

"He better be." Kaiba growled angrily, before walking to the duelists' area. "Be careful, Little Brother." He warned Mokuba. 

"I will, Seto. You too." Mokuba headed towards the house of mirrors. 

"Well! This is just getting more interesting by the minute, isn't it, Roba?" Rex walked up to them now. 

"Yeah. I'll say. You know what? I just thought of something." Espa smiled at Wheeler and Raptor. "We're all getting along. Last week, we couldn't stand each other. " 

"This is no time to hold Battle City grudges. We all need to work together." Rex said slowly. "I just wish Underwood would take this more seriously. He could lose his sister. " 

"Somehow, I think that's part of his plan. He doesn't seem to care much about her." Joey remarked. 

"No one hates their siblings that much…not even Weevil." Espa said. 

"He's Weevil. What makes you think he doesn't?" Joey asked him,looking over at him. 

"Because." Espa only smiled. 

"Well, I think we should join the others , before we look suspicious. Who knows who's watching us." Rex said, casting a long look around. 

"Good idea. Let's try and talk to Weevil again before this thing really takes off."Joey said. "I'm not saying I like him or anything, but his sister is another matter all together." 

"Good luck." Espa told his friend, before walking off to find Cedric. He was the only other person that was not from Battle city that he knew. 

"Alright, you kids. We're going to be dividing you all into groups. While your older siblings/guardians are dueling you will be fighting your way through this house. I warn you now, this is no ordinary house of mirrors. " The tall male with long silver hair stared at them craftily. "When I call your names, go to the group I assign." 

"No! I don't want us to be separated, Brother!" Andy held on to Chris' hand all the more tighter. 

"Don't worry. I have a feeling it's going to be an even split." Chris freed his hand, and looked over at Jonathan. "Hey…how's E?" 

"Asleep, for now. I think he'll be okay, as long as we all stick together." Jon replied. He felt a little more anxious than he let on to his younger brothers. "Remember what Espa said. 

"They're going to split us up! These people know us, Jon. They know we're stronger as a group!" Christien looked at him, seriously. "I'm glad Espa remembered our headsets. It's going to be our only means of communication." 

"I know." Jon snuggled Baby Espa closer, when the little one stirred. "He just called you and Andrew." He'd been listening with on ear. "Let's turn on our devices." He reached in his pants pocket, and flipped his headset on. "Be careful,Chris." He hugged each of his younger brothers in turn, before they were led off, with Mokuba Kaiba to their group. He looked down at Little E, who was staring up at him, as he sucked on his pacifier. "Well,E…it's just us now." 

"Psst! Hey,you're Espa Roba's brothers, aren't you?" 

Jon turned to see a blonde headed girl, who looked a lot like Cedric, the duelist from three nights ago. "Yeah…who are you?" 

"I'm Miranda Wilson. Randi for short. I'm one of Cedric's sisters." 

"One? Oh that's right. He's got three. I'm Jonathan Roba…Jon. And this is Baby Espa. We call him Little E, or E for short." Jon smiled. Randy was about his age. "I bet your sisters got put in my brothers' group. Or at least one of them did." 

"Maybe. Do you think your brothers will take care of them? My sisters Cindy and Alexandra are very young. They're twins."

"I'm sure Christien will. He loves little kids." Jon assured her. "So what do you make of this place?" 

"I don't like it at all. It's scary." She stepped closer to Jon, as if for protection. 

"Don't worry, Randy. I know two other people in this group." He started to point out the other two. "That's Mokuba Kaiba. His brother's the CEO of Kaiba Corporation. And that's Kenny Underwood. She's Weevil's little sister." 

"What do you think they want us to do?" Randi asked. 

"I think we're supposed to get through here unharmed. The way that guy was talking, it's not going to be as easy as we might think." 

"Well….we'd better,if we wanna see our siblings again." Randi stood up straighter. "My sisters are counting on me."

"So are my brothers." Jon agreed. "We'd better hope our brothers win. " He added. 

"Cedric will. He got new cards since your brother split the money with him." Randi told Jon. 

"Good. Now, let's get the maze solved." He moved up, and entered the maze.


	5. Let the Duels Begin

****

Chapter Five-Let the Duels Begin

"Look at that….the match board!" Espa followed the herd of duelists to the board. 

"Looks like I'm going against Kaiba first…" Joey sputtered in disbelief. 

"What? You don't stand a chance against him!" Rex put in. "This is bogus. I'll tell you what. Let's just ditch this tourney, and rescue our relatives." 

"I don't know about that, Rex. That House of Mirrors is heavily guarded. " Joey pointed out. 

"Wheeler's right. We can't get in there. Besides,I'd rather spend our escape plan trying to find out who's behind this." Espa agreed. 

"But I have to duel, or it will look suspicious. Maybe I can alert Kaiba to what you're doing." Joey nodded. "I'll head over there now. " 

"Be careful,Joey." Espa looked at Rex, worriedly. "Where do we start looking?" 

"How should I know?" Rex replied, a bit sourly. 

Espa was about to reply, when a familiar hum started in his ear. His brothers had been separated. A few minutes later, the distinct voice of Christien was heard. 

"Big Brother….can you hear me?" Christien's voice wavered a little. 

"Chris. I can hear you. Are you guys alright?" Espa moved out of the crowd slowly. 

"We've been split up,Espa. Little E's with Jonathan, and I've got Andy. We're supposed to solve this maze, and it seems to be very difficult." 

"Are any of our friends' sisters or brothers with you?" Espa spoke softly into the microphone, looking around cautiously. 

"Yeah. Monica Raptor's with us." 

Espa looked at Rex. "Your sister is safe with my brother Chris." 

"Good." 

"Espa, Mokuba Kaiba's in our group too. I think Kendra Underwood is with Jon's group. I haven't heard anything from them yet."

"Okay. Well, keep tabs with them, and be careful." Espa instructed. "I want my brothers back in one piece." 

"Understood, Espa. Christien out." 

Espa looked at Rex. "It's not just us who have to be challenged. They're being forced to work through a maze. Chris says Monica and Mokuba Kaiba are in his group. "

"Well, that's a good thing then. Monica really likes your brother Andy. " 

"I noticed that." Espa smiled a little. Then it turned into a frown, when he heard the first duel announced. "Oh no! Wheeler! If he loses, we've one less shot at rescuing our siblings!" He raced towards the dueling arena. "Come on, Rex!" 

"Hold on, Roba! What about Weevil? Aren't we supposed to try and talk to him?" 

"Forget it, Rex! He's too stubborn to listen to us anyway!" Espa made his way to the dueling field, just as Joey and Kaiba were stepping up to their respective spots. "Wait! Stop!" 

The spectators booed Espa's plea, and shouted insults at the young boy. "We want a duel! We didn't pay for interference!" 

"Joey,Kaiba! You have to listen to me. Our siblings are in trouble!" 

"Shut your mouth, Roba! No one wants to hear you!" Kaiba sneered. "We all know what a phony you are already. At least Wheeler loses legitimately!" 

"That's enough, Kaiba!" Joey scowled at the CEO. "I may very well be a loser, but I defend my friends! Roba isn't kiddin' around!"

Kaiba chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're even dumber than the last time I dueled you, Joey." 

"ARGH! Will stop you runnin' your mouth and listen for once?! These clowns have tricked us into being a side show!" Joey glared at him. "C' mon, Kaiba. Admit it. Why would they insist on you handing Mokuba over to them if you were just here to duel?" 

"Wheeler's right, Kaiba." Rex spoke up now. "We wouldn't have been allowed to duel if our siblings had stayed home. All of our siblings are trapped in a very dangerous maze." 

"Enough of this! If you're too chicken to rematch me, Joey, why not just forfeit?" Kaiba challenged in aggravation. 

"Not a chance, Kaiba! I'm through being called a dog!" Joey retorted. 

"All spectators to the stands immediately." A security guard grabbed Espa by the arm roughly. 

"Hey! Get your hands off him!" Rex glared at the guard, as he pulled Espa free. "He can take himself to the stands, alright?" 

Espa smiled in gratification at Rex. "Thanks."

"No problem. Come on." Rex led the way to the stands. "We'll wait until he's distracted, then sneak off. For right now, all we can do is watch, and hope Wheeler's beefed up his deck." 

Espa nodded, beginning to feel frustrated. "This is going to be a long weekend." 

"We'll make it, Roba. Don't worry." Rex consoled. "I have to make it. Nothing's more important to me than Monnie." 

Espa nodded again, fixing his gaze on Kaiba and Joey. Come on,Joey. Beat him down. You've got to win, for all of us. 


	6. Unexpected Alliances

****

Chapter Six- Unexpected Alliances

"My 'tomach huwts." Little E complained to Jonathan. "Epa…." 

Jonathan sighed. "I know E, I know. I miss Espa too, but we can't be with him right now." He patted E's back a little bit. "Do you want some milk?" 

The baby nodded, and grabbed for the diaper bag, throwing his pacifier to the ground. 

"I'll get it." Randi smiled, and picked it up. "The twins do that all the time." 

"Heh…thanks." Jon put the bottle in E's little hands, and held him so that he could drink it. "I wish we'd have thought of bringing his stroller." 

"If you get too tired of carrying him,I'll do it for you." Randi offered kindly, as they turned a corner. "This is one huge Mirror House. I've never been in one so large!" 

"That makes two of us. Even the one in the carnival I used to belong to wasn't so big." Jonathan agreed. The path was becoming narrower with every turn. 

"You belonged to a carnival? Cool!" Randi smiled. 

"I was a little young to remember, but yeah. My brothers and me." He looked up ahead, stopping suddenly. "Weren't we just here?" 

"Of course we were, Roba! We're going in a complete circle. It's the only way to go." Kendra's unpleasant voice broke the semi-comfortable feeling Jon was getting with Randi. 

"I wasn't asking you, Underwood." Jonathan said in a low voice. "And if it is the only way to go, where are the others?" He was beginning to panic. "Chris! Andy!" He called into his mouthpiece. "Are you two there??" 

"Jonathan. We're here." Christien's voice was muffled, and static filled. 

"Where are you??" Jon looked behind them, trying to see if the other two Robas, or any other members of their group were trailing them. 

"We're in the mirror house,Brother. Same as you." Chris responded in a low voice. "Is everything okay?" 

"No. I've been walking in circles for almost an hour. How did you get so far?" 

"We were doing the same thing, then, there was this mirror at the end of the third corridor. It was a door of sorts. Just walked through it! 

"What? That's impossible!" Jonathan looked at Randi, who shrugged. "Alright. Hey, is there a set of twin girls with you? About Andy's age?" 

"Yeah. Alex and Cindy. Monica Raptor's with us too." 

"Good. Lacey Wheeler and Kendra are with us. Tell the girls their sister is with me, and she's fine. I'll check in with you guys later." 

"Alright. Later." Christien replied. 

Jon looked at Randi. "A mirror-passage. This is getting creepy." 

"Getting? It's been creepy." Randi shuddered. "At least my sisters are in good hands." 

"Yeah. Chris and I've had lost of practice." Jon grinned. "Come on. He said it was in the third corridor. So…. We must be getting close." 

"Hey, Roba…um…since you know where you're going and all that…can I stay with you guys?" Kendra asked hesitantly. 

"Sure. I don't see why not." Jonathan smiled at Kendra.

"This doesn't mean we're going to become friends or anything. Just so you know." Kendra added. 

"Of course not." Jon exchanged a glance with Randi, who just smiled. 

"Come on, Kaiba ease up on him! This isn't Battle City!" Rex yelled from the stands. 

"Can it, Raptor! He's losing fair and square." The young businessman glared over at Rex. "Alright, Wheeler! Make your move."

"Chill out, Kaiba! I'll move when I'm ready!" Joey looked down at his hand, with a deep sigh. There was not a thing in his hand that could save him. He was already down to four hundred life points. Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon's next blow would destroy him. 

"What's the matter, Joey? Can't find anything good to hide behind?" Kaiba snickered. 

Come on, Joey. Pull yourself together! Don't let this jerk beat you again! Joey drew a card from his hand. "Aw man! I was hoping for a better loss..but oh well!" He played Scapegoat, to buy himself some time. 

"Underwood! Hey, Weevil. Come here." Espa had moved over a few seats. He had to try once more to reason with Weevil. It would take as many people as they could get to help their siblings. 

"What do you want, Roba?" Weevil was enjoying Wheeler's defeat immensely. 

"Listen to me. Your sister is in a lot of trouble." Espa explained what he'd found out from Christien. "If we lose, there's a very very good chance we'll never see them again." 

"What do I care? I'd be back in my mom's good graces. Ever since Kendra came home from the hospital, everyone's been treating her like she was someone special." 

"The hospital?" Espa looked at his rival. "What do you mean?" 

Weevil sighed. "My sister was born with a disability called Cerebral Palsy. She can walk and all that, but not as good as us. Four months ago, Kenny went into surgery for her legs. Now she can run faster, ride a bike skate, and play soccer. Before then, I was the one who got all the academic attention. I was the one they all wanted to watch. But she took it all away from me." 

"Weevil, your sister can't help the attention she's getting. She overcame a great obstacle. If you were a good brother, you'd be encouraging her to do what she wants, instead of being so cold towards her." Espa was stunned by the story Weevil had told. 

"You know something, Roba? You're right." Weevil stood up, and to Espa's surprise he started cheering for Joey. "Come on, Wheeler! Take him down!" 

The sudden cheering of Weevil Underwood startled Joey. When he looked over to the stands, Joey saw Espa sitting with his worst rival,giving him the thumbs up. Wow, Espa really has changed, and he seems to be able to change anybody. Joey drew his next card then, playing it in defense mode. He was down to the last two hundred life points. "Come on, Kaiba. Attack me. I'm ready for you!" 


	7. The Disappearence of Little Espa

****

Chapter Seven- The Disappearance of Little Espa

"Come on, Monica. We don't have time for tears." Christien said softly, squatting to the little girl's level. "I know you want Rex, but that's just not possible right now." 

"Come on, Monnie. We have cake at the end this." Andy attempted to persuade his friend. Well, that's what Christien had told him. 

"Take?" Monica stood up, brushing herself off. "I wants take." 

"Well, we have to get to the end of this first." Christien picked her up, and wiped her tears. "Come on. The faster we get to the end, the faster we get to cake, the faster we get to Rex and Espa." He looked back at the twins. "Are you two okay?" 

"Uh huh." The Wilson twins nodded in unison. "She tay?" 

"She's fine." Chris smiled. "Let's go you guys." He led his group off again. "Mokuba, what's up ahead?" 

"Just more corridors. This has to be some magical trap." 

"Not so loud! There are little ones among us." Christien replied. 

"Oops. Forgot about that. Are they doing okay?" The young boy looked over at his best friend's brother. 

"I think the twins are getting tired." Christien answered. "Do you think we're allowed to sleep in here?" 

"I don't see how we couldn't. We're stuck here until we figure this maze out." He slumped to the floor. "I'm with them. I'm exhausted." 

"Let's take a rest then. They can nap, while we try to figure out what to do." 

"I'm not tired, Chris." Andy piped up. 

"Then you don't have to sleep." The older Roba told him. "Just lay down for a little bit." He laid Monica down too,covering her with his jacket. The Wilson sisters laid down beside Monica, one on each side. It wasn't long before they were asleep. 

"Whoa….we went right through that thing!" Randi exclaimed, as she stared back at the mirror. 

"That was kinda cool….wasn't it?" Jonathan was holding Little E's hand. The little Roba had decided he would not be carried anymore. "Kenny, are you okay?" 

"Yeah. I just need a rest." Kendra looked up at them. So, they didn't know about her condition. Could it be that her brother had never told anyone? Well, she wasn't going to either. Up ahead, she heard some screaming. "What's all the noise?" 

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound too good. Come on." Randi helped her up, and the two girls followed Jonathan.

As they came closer to the racket, the noise took the form of a six-year-old girl, throwing a tantrum.

"Argh! Shut her up already!" Kendra commanded. 

"Shhh….she's just a little thing." Randi walked over to Jonathan. "Who is she?" 

"She's Joey's cousin, I think." He released Little E's hand, to pick the girl up. "Hey there….what's the matter?" 

"I wants tousin…." The girl studied Jonathan through her tears. "I no wikes him be gone….." 

"Shhhh…..it's alright, Lacey. We don't have our brothers either. Do you want to stay with us?" 

Lacey nodded, wiping her eyes. "This pwace scawy…" 

"I agree with you. This is no place for little children." Jonathan held her tightly, trying to calm her down. "We're with you though. Nothing bad will happen to you while we're here. I promise." 

"Uh….Jon? Where's E?" Randi looked around for the baby Roba. 

"What…he was just here." Jon looked around now, panicking. "E?! Little E!" There was no response. "Oh no! I've lost my baby brother!" 

"Don't panic, Roba. He's got to be around here…not too many places to hide in here." Kendra spoke up sensibly. 

"What if there's another one of those mirror portals?! He could walk right through it,and we'd never find him!" Jon handed Lacey to Randi, and peered around a corner. "Little E? Are you here?" He looked back at the girls now. "He's gone. We've got to find him, Randi! We have to!" 

"We will find him, Jonathan. Don't worry." Randi reassured him, as she stroked Lacey's hair. "In the mean time, why don't you inform Christien of what's happened. Perhaps he will run across the little one." 

"Good idea." Jonathan turned his headset back on, hoping Christien still had his on. "Chris….you there?" He waited a few minutes then he heard a very welcoming sound.

"What's up, Jon?" 

"Little Espa's disappeared." 

"WHAT?! How is that possible?!" Christien's exclamation rung in Jon's ear. 

"I…I had to let him down for a minute to comfort Joey's cousin. When I turned around, he was gone!" 

"Ugh! Great. Just great! Do you know how hard it will be to find him in here?!"

"I know I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen." Jon felt his stomach tighten. "Furthermore, I don't think it was just him running off. I think he was lured away. He never just runs off, Chris." 

"Maybe…..I'll keep a look out. Oh,and Mokuba says hi." 

"Tell him I said hi back. I'll contact you soon." Jonathan turned it down,but not off, before turning to Kendra and Randi. "We have to rest here tonight. If he comes back, this is where he'll expect us to be." 

"Sounds good to me." Randi settled against the wall, holding on to Lacey. "Does anyone have any food? I'm really hungry." 

"I wish…." Kendra settled down across from them. "How long do you think these isane people will keep us in here?" 

"No telling. I wonder how the dueling is going." Jonathan replied. 

"I bet your brother was picked first." Randi told him.

"No….somehow, I don't think so." He closed his eyes wearily. All he wanted were his brothers. He realized now how close they all were to each other. 

"Come on, Kaiba! Come at me!" Joey smirked at his opponent. 

"Like you can really win, once I destroy your knight! Alright then, Wheeler. Blue Eyes, Destroy his Knight!" 

"Is Wheeler crazy?! He hasn't learned anything!" Rex yelped, as he,Espa and Weevil watched from stands. 

"Trust him. Wheeler's got a better head on his shoulders than the last time we dueled him." Espa replied. He returned to the duel at present. "Look! He's played Skull Dice!" The three former rivals watched, hanging on the edge of their seats, as Skull Dice landed on six. "Alright! Way to go,Wheeler!" Espa cheered. "Good move!" 

"Wow….I underestimated him. Well played!" Rex called out. 

"Espa, who do you think will have to duel him if Joey wins?" Weevil asked suddenly. 

"I'm not sure. It doesn't matter, really. I've gotten all the duelists on one side. So, whoever loses, will still get their siblings back." Espa watched as Joey wrapped up the duel by powering up his Red Eyes Black Dragon with Graceful dice, and finishing Kaiba off. 

"That wraps up day one. The officials in the back will show you to your rooms. Good night,and we will see everyone bright an early tomorrow morning." The annoying announcer blared from the speakers. 

Once they were let into their rooms, the four friends met in Espa's room for a meeting. "I don't like this one bit. The hotel here locks all it's doors." 

"That's because this really isn't a hotel." Kaiba stood in the doorway, dressed in his usual manner. 

"Back for more, are you?" Joey asked. "I'm ready." 

"No, you fool. I came to see what the big fuss was about. They said I will never see my little brother again." Kaiba looked really distraught. "What do they do to the children of the duelists who lose?" 

"I'm not sure." Espa replied softly. "I'm afraid to find out, as ominous as this has all begun." Sudden, his hands flew to his temples, as a long awaited vision came to him. "Oh no! E!" He nearly missed the chair behind him, as his legs buckled.

"Espa! Are you okay?" Joey asked, helping him. "What was _that_ all about?"

"It was a premonition. My littlest brother has been taken." Espa said, still in a haze. 

"Taken where?" Joey asked. 

"I'm not sure. It didn't show. But he is terrified. I can feel it, even now." Espa buried his face in his hands. "The problem is, I haven't even dueled yet. So I don't even wanna think about what they've got planned for Mokuba." 

Kaiba grunted, and turned to go. "I will see what is going on." 

Espa looked up at Joey, Rex and Weevil. They were all gawking at him. "What?" 

"You…..you're really psychic?!" Rex sputtered.

"Yeah…..as of last year, right after Battle City. Strange, huh?" Espa smiled a little. "I never use it to duel though. Too painful. " He yawned, before going to lie down. "We'll see if Kaiba intends to help us or not in the morning." 

His friends nodded, and left him to rest, and Espa fell asleep, worried for his brothers' safety. 


	8. The Mysterious Host,Revealed!

****

Chapter Eight- The Mysterious Host,Revealed!

When he woke up, Christien realized that Mokuba was missing. "Uh oh…" He woke Andy and the girls up. "Come on you guys. I think something's happened to Mokuba." 

"Like what?" Monica asked worriedly. She looked up at the older Roba wide-eyed. 

"I'm not sure. Come on." He scooped her up."Andy, can you help the twins out?" 

"Okay, Christien." Andy helped the girls up, and led them each by a hand. "I a big help?" 

"A very big help." Christien smiled. He turned his head set on. "Jon, are you awake?" 

"Yeah. Did you find E?" Jonathan sounded like he was still half asleep. 

"No. But we've got bigger problems." 

"What's bigger than our little brother missing?" 

"Mokuba Kaiba's gone too. He must've been taken in the night." 

"Oh no! My poor friend!" Jonathan stared at Randi and Kendra, who were sleeping beside each other, with little Lacey next to them. "Chris, do NOT take your eyes off of Andrew." Jon ordered. "We're going to have to keep our sets on for now. I want to know what you're doing and where." 

"I know I know. I wish we could find each other,but it's nearly impossible!" Christien fretted. He was starting to get freaked out. 

"Calm down. We don't want to scare the little ones. Look, I'm going to get my group going. Keep me posted."

"Right." Christien looked at his crew, smiling brightly with an effort. "Mokuba's playing hide and seek. Let's see if we can find him, okay?" 

"Ooh…Hidenseek. I wikes hidenseek!" Monica squeaked. 

"Me too! Me too!" The twins chorused. 

"Alright. The only rule is we all hold hands. Don't let go." Chris took Andrew's hand now, carrying Monica. "Come on."

"Christien just told me Mokuba's gone." Jonathan reported to Randi and Kendra later, as he fished for some animal crackers for Lacey to snack on. 

"Gone?! What does it mean? Your little brother, and now Mokuba?" Randi's eyes widened. "Do you think it has to do with who loses each duel?" 

"That's a possibility. So…that means Kaiba lost to Joey." Jonathan calculated. 

"How do you know who dueled who? We're in here." Kendra asked. 

"My brother Espa. We're all keeping in contact via our old headsets." 

"Good idea." Kendra admitted. "So.Wheeler beat Kaiba, so Kaiba lost his brother. That's not really a nice parting gift,is it?" 

"No. But what I don't understand is why MY brother was taken." 

"We're going to have to find out, but I've got a suggestion. We need to merge with your brothers." Randi watched Lacey reach her little hand into the cracker box for more. "There are too many small children, and I think if we were all together, we could keep a better eye on all of them." 

"Hmm…you're right, but first we've got to find them." With that, Jon picked up Lacey,who clung to the crackers, and led the older girls down the corridor,and turned. 

"Little E?? What are you doing here, buddy?" Mokuba crawled over to the baby's crib, and took him out. All the while, he kept looking around the cold room they were in. "I don't like this place one bit." He paced with the fussy Roba, petting his hair gently. "Shh….I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." 

"Isn't that touching?" A sinister voice spoke up. 

Little Espa whimpered,tightening his grip on Mokuba's shirt. He whimpered. "Hurted mes…." 

Mokuba glared in the direction of the speaker. "What did you do to him?! And who are you? Are you in charge of this so-called "fun day"?"

The speaker cackled, then came into the light. "I'm Lorelai. And I merely gave him a shot to put him to sleep. His incessant crying was quite annoying." 

"He could've been allergic to that drug! You could've killed him!" Mokuba replied hotly, clinging to the little Roba. "When my brother finds you, you're going to pay!" 

"Foolish young Kaiba….your brother will not find you. You aren't even above ground anymore. That's why it's so cold in here." Lorelai sneered. "Give me the boy. I'm sure you don't want him to be hurt again." 

"I will never let you touch him!" Mokuba declared. He owed it to Jonathan and his brothers to keep Little E safe from this monster. He clung tighter to E, as the baby played with his locket. As he took a step back, a hulk of a man grabbed him, holding him still. "Hey! Let go!" 

"You heard Miss Lorelai. Put the baby down." The man's voice sounded like gravel. 

Mokuba stiffened. He looked down at the young Roba in his arms. "Alright…..just, please don't stick him again. He's just scared, that's all." Mokuba set the little Roba down. 

Little E immediately started crying, and tried to go to him, but Lorelai scooped him up first. " 'Kuba! No wet takes mes!" 

"Now now, Little Espa….we're not going to hurt you, as long your big brother stops snooping around." To her body guard, she said. "James, take Mokuba to his suite. I'm sure he'll find it much more pleasing than this room." 

Little E watched helplessly,as Mokuba Kaiba was taken away. That room he was going to was worse than the one he was in now,but his young mind couldn't put it together right to warn Mokuba. "'Kuba! Kuba,tome backs!" 

"Enough of that! You're as bad as your big brother Espa. Well,I'll fix that!" Lorelai found the baby Roba's pacifier, and dipped it directly into the drug, then gave it to him. "Here now…your pacifier. And I do mean pacifier." 

Within twenty minutes, the baby was asleep once more, and Lorelai returned him to his crib. "Now, Espa…..you'll have to stop snooping, or I'm going to hurt every one of your precious siblings. And believe me,I can be very very cruel when I want to be." She smirked evilly, before returning to her room, to find out what the rest of her "guests" were doing. 


	9. Help in Hidden Places

****

Chapter Nine-Help in Hidden Places

Mokuba looked around the metal room. That was all he could do. The only other thing in the room to look at was a mirror. He paced up and down, contemplating his present situation. He knew he needed to get out, and fast. He didn't know what the woman had planned for him and he wasn't ready to find out.

Moreover, he realized that Little Espa needed to be saved. Since he knew the other Robas didn't know where he was, it was up to Mokuba to do it. He sat in the middle of the floor again, with a sigh. He was really tired of playing bait. For once, he hoped this wasn't some ploy to gain Kaiba Corp. 

*************************************************************************************

Kaiba was having a bad morning. "Appearently, the host wants to remain anonymous." He told Espa Roba and the other duelists in the tournament. After word was received Mokuba was gone, everyone was instructed to meet in his penthouse at the top of the hotel. 

"Anonymous? I wonder why." Joey muttered. His dreams had been horrible the night before. All he could hear was Lacey calling for him.

"Probably because they know their doing something downright illegal," Wevvil mused. "if those creeps put one hand on my sister…." 

"Wait. The second duel is announced in ten minutes. Who do you think they'll choose?" Espa asked the unwanted question. 

"Who knows….but we've all got to duel our best." Cedric spoke up quietly. "There's no room for sloppy mistakes in this."

"Hey, who are you?" Rex asked the quiet boy. 

"I'm Cedric Wilson. My three sisters are in that maze as well." 

"Yeah. Chris and Jon have them." Espa replied with a nod. "Cedric is right. We've all dueled each other before, but these circumstances require us to push us each other to our limits. That means everyone." 

"We've got that, Roba, but if they keep knocking us out of the thing, who's going to be left to get the kiddies back?" Rex wanted to know.

"I don't know. We'll have to come up with something." Espa answered uncertainly. For once, the Roba was out of suggestions. All he could think about was Little Espa. Somehow, he had to get this tournament over with, and fast. 

As Rex was about to ask another question, the PA system blared. "All remaining duelists please report to the playing field for match up." 

Everyone looked at Kaiba. What would he do while they dueled?

"I'm going to get my brother back." Kaiba announced. "Don't worry, I'll see that your siblings are returned as well." 

"But…Kaiba, that's crazy talk. No one can get into the House of Mirrors, and no one can get out." Joey said.

"They were warned not to mess with my little brother." Kaiba countered, before turning to go.

"Be careful, Kaiba!" Espa warned. "I think that place is full of traps." 

"Stop worrying." The young CEO left without another word, leaving the remaining duelists gawking. 

"Well, we better get down there and see who else is going to be eliminated." Cedric said unhappily. 

"It doesn't matter. We're all in this together. They didn't count on us bonding together." Espa tried to smile reassuringly. "No matter what happens, we're all going to come out of this together." The others nodded in agreement, before going their separate ways to prepare for the coming duels. 

******************************************************************************************

"We found you!" Randi squealed in delight when she saw her twin sisters. "I'm so glad you're safe!" 

"Wandi!!!" One of the little girls let go of Andrew's hand and ran to her older sister. The other twin followed. 

Randi scooped them up, while Christien hugged his older brother, and Jon in turned hugged both his brothers tightly. "I'm glad you two are okay as well." 

Monica Raptor was filling Lacey in on what they were doing. "Hidenseek." Monica told her. 

"Ooh…Tan I pway?" Lacey asked, her lavender eyes lightening up. 

"We're all going to play." Jonathan announced. 

"Yay!!!!!" The three youngest girls squealed in delight. 

"Right, you guys. Mission number one was accomplished. We found each other. Mission number two, we find Mokuba and Little Espa." 

"Where are we supposed to look, Roba?" Kenny wanted to know. 

"I…I'm not sure, but it has to be at the end of the maze." Jonathan concluded. "Everyone pair off. We need to stay together, but if something happens, we each have a younger child." 

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Roba? I'm not in the mood to get anymore lost than I am." Kendra remarked. 

"No, Kenny,I'm not, but if you want to see Weevil again, you're going to have to trust my instincts." Jonathan retorted irritably. 

"What's your problem, Underwood? You're not the only one who's got a sibling you know." Christien echoed his older brother's annoyance. "Let's just go. We're wasting time." 

As the Robas and the Wilson sisters turned to continue around the corner, Kendra watched, her eyes filling up with tears. They didn't understand, did they? Weevil didn't care what happened to her. He probably hoped she died in there.

"Tome ons, Tenny." Lacey Carlsn tugged on her arm lightly. 

Kenny smiled despite how she felt, as she scooped up Wheeler's cousin. "Alright. Hide and seek…..let's see if we can't find them,hmm?" 

**********************************************************************************

Marik Ishtar looked up at his sister. "I knew something wasn't right here. Look at them all, Ishizu. So young, and having to do this alone." His fury was fired up immensely. The one thing he couldn't stand after all the pain and suffering he caused, was to see innocents hurting. 

"It is sad. We're going to be able to help them though. If we can keep from being caught ourselves." The Egyptian woman smiled at Marik. "It is as your dream depicted." 

"No, Sister. It is worse than that. We were too late to stop them from taking the younger Kaiba." Marik replied. "I wish Rishid was here. He could certainly get us past those guards over there." 

"Yes, that he could. We will have to find another way in." Ishizu slid to her feet. "Come on. We must return to our room to think this out further. We can't do anything without a plan, and those children haven't got much time for us to be captured." 

Marik nodded reluctantly. All he wanted to do was get in there and help those young kids out. "You're right." He sighed, and stood as well. "Let's not take too long to do come up with a plan though. " 

"We can't afford to. Don't worry." Ishizu led the way back to their hotel room. 

On the way there, Marik silently recounted the events that had led them to this place. It had started the day before yesterday. Mokuba had come over, and told them about the anonymous invitation. Ishizu had warned the young Kaiba against it, but it was clear Seto Kaiba wasn't going to listen to reason. When Mokuba left for home that night, he'd reassured both Ishtars that he would be alright, but Marik had held on to his doubts. Something felt very wrong about the whole thing. 

The next night, as he slept, Marik had been haunted with really wild, and sinister images. At first, he thought it was just a nightmare, but after explaining it to his older brother Rishid, it was clear he'd had what was known as a prophetic dream. Unable to let it rest, he pleaded with his two older siblings to help. Eventually, they gave in, having decided Marik was right. Whoever was behind this horrible scheme could not be allowed to succeed. 

"Marik? Brother, are you alright?" Ishizu's concerned voice broke through the young boy's thoughts.

"Yes. I'm just thinking about how we can best help." Marik replied. 

"We will find a way." The older Ishtar consoled. "Don't worry." 

Marik smiled weakly. "I know you're right. I just hope we're not too late." 


	10. Espa Finds Courage in Jinzo

****

Chapter Ten-Espa Finds Courage in Jinzo

Espa stared at the board in disbelief. "Me and Rex? This is bizarre!" He'd hoped to go against Joey. At least then he knew he'd have a chance. Now he was certain he would lose. 

"C'mon Roba. You can take him." Weevil assured. He was staring at his own pairing. He was to go against the new duelist, Cedric Wilson. 

"No, Weevil. If I hadn't been cheating before, Rex would've killed me." 

The insect duelist pushed his glasses up on his nose, and studied Espa. "You're really not yourself, Roba. I didn't get to duel you myself, but there was a large commotion about you even before Kaiba's silly tournament. You were a world class duelist."  
"No! I was a cheater, Weevil. That's what I was." Espa moaned in despair. 

"Snap out of it! You're the one who told me we had to win to save our brothers, sisters and cousins! We need you, Roba! You're the only sensible of us here!" It was Rex who was scowling down at him. "Now,I'm not sayin' I'm gonna go easy on you, but I will play fair, and so will you. Stop dwelling on the past. It won't get your little brothers back!" 

Espa nodded, slowly. "Thanks you guys. I needed that." 

Weevil laughed a little. "Yes, I guess we're all on edge lately. This is the first time most of us have been in the same vicinity of each other since Battle City. I think they did it on purpose, but we've gotta stand up to them. We're not enemies anymore. Whoever set this up is the enemy. If we just pretend it's for fun, it won't be so hard. Roba, have you heard from your siblings today?" 

"Not yet. I'm sure I'll hear something soon." Espa was trying to convince himself more than them. It was already eleven thirty. Why hadn't he heard from them yet? 

"All duelists participating in next two duels please report to the outdoor arena." The loudspeaker said suddenly. 

"Rex, best of luck to you." Espa said in a monotone, as he pulled his deck out. He headed off with his opponent.

"Espa! Hey,Roba! Wait!" Joey came running towards them. 

"What is it, Joey?" Espa stared at his friend in concern, thinking something was wrong. 

"You can't duel without Jinzo." He held out Espa's favorite card. "It's yours." 

Espa stared at the card, then Joey, before shaking his head. "I can't take it, Wheeler. You earned that card dueling fair. Besides, I won't have a chance to play it." 

"Well then," Joey took Espa's deck, and placed Jinzo in the middle of it, shuffling it. "keep it in here for good luck. Jinzo nearly destroyed me before. Maybe it'll help you against Rex now." The Brooklyn duelist handed Espa his deck back, and then turned, walking away to the spectator area. 

Espa watched his friend in disbelief, then looked down at his deck with a smile. _Maybe Wheeler's on to something. Besides, I promised my brothers I would be the one to get them out. I have to make that happen! _ He followed Rex to the dueling field now. 

********************************************************************************************

"This is useless! We've been in this corridor four times already, Christien!" Jon exploded later that morning. The little kids were getting whiny, and irritable. He'd long since run out of animal crackers, and the older kids were hungry and irritable too. 

"I'm sorry! I don't know what to do!" Christien shot back, picking Andy up. "We're going to die here, you know!"

"D-don't say that!" Randi pleaded, holding on to her sisters' hands tightly. "We've gotta be strong! Like our brothers." 

Monica was clinging tightly to Kenny. "I wants Wex…." 

The older girl picked her up carefully, and patted her back. "I miss my brother too….." Kenny looked at the Robas. "So, what are we gonna do, just give up here?!" 

"We can't! Little Espa is still in here somewhere!" Jonathan moaned. "We Robas have to be together. We're lost if one is gone. It's been that way for years and years." 

"Well, what do we do then?" Randi asked quietly. We certainly can't stay here. It will get us nowhere." 

"She's right." Kenny agreed. "What would our brothers do?" 

Christien frowned, rubbing Andrew's back. "Espa would arrange some sort of elaborate plan. But we don't have much to go on…" 

Kenny looked around. "Maybe you could ask your brother for help with that head-set thingie you have going." 

"She's right." Jonathan turned on his microphone to do so. "What the…." He looked over at Chris in alarm. "Espa's is turned off!" 

"What?!" Christien was instantly worried. "Maybe he got in trouble for having it in a duel or something…" 

"But we have to be able to talk to him!" Jon replied. 

"Let's just get out of here, you guys." Kenny looked around. Wait….where's Lacey?!" 

"No! Not another one!" Jon looked around frantically. 

"Lacey!!" 

"She's right here." A new voice spoke up calmly. 

The children turned to stare up at the newcomer. 

"Seto Kaiba?! How did you get past the guards?!" Jonathan demanded. "Where's our brother?" 

"He is dueling. How I got past the guards is my secret." He held Joey's cousin out to Jon. He surveyed the faces of the kids. They were tired, and hungry. "You all need to rest, before continuing. I will keep watch." He turned from them, to stand guard. 

"Seto..um….we're sorry about Mokuba…" Jon began.

"Don't be. We will find him. Rest now." The CEO nodded, his back to the children. 

*******************************************************************************************

"Seto Kaiba has made it into the maze. If he can do it, so can we. Whether they know it or not ,they will need us before long." Ishizu told Marik, as they walked towards the house of mirrors that afternoon. 

"Of course. I cannot stand the thought of innocent children being hurt." Marik frowned. "They all seemed so determined to fight, but they do not know the real danger of doing so." 

"It is their family ties, Brother. Like us, they feel they must fight for each other." Ishizu looked around. "I hope Rishid was able to find what we needed. For the distraction we must cause, the children must be well equipped." 

"Right." The Egyptian boy frowned. "Do you think Seto will accept our help,Sister?" 

"If he wants his brother back sooner rather than later, I don't see why not." The woman glanced around again. "Where is Rishid?" 

"I'm here. I'm sorry for the delay." The tall man came up to them, holding a bag. 

"It is alright. I was just hoping you hadn't gotten yourself into trouble." 

"Nothing of the kind. Are we sure of what we have to do now?" Rishid asked cautiously. 

"Yes. Seto Kaiba has already made it into the maze. He will be a big help in keeping the young ones calm. " Marik filled his older brother in on the latest development. "Espa Roba and Rex Raptor are to duel next, which means the rest of the Robas, and little Monica, are in danger." 

"Then we should waste no more time. Let us go." Rishid let Ishizu lead the rest of the way to the House of Mirrors. They had no time to spare. 


	11. Dinosaurs and Dungeons

****

Chapter Eleven-Dinosaurs and Dungeons

Rex stared at Espa from his podium on the duelist's field. "Come on Roba! We don't have all day!" 

Espa sighed deeply ,looking at his hand. He didn't have anything to play, and hadn't had anything in the entire duel. "I end my turn without playing a card." 

His friend actually looked worried. "You haven't played anything decent this entire duel!" 

The eldest Roba shook his head, with a groan. "I haven't had anything in my hand this entire duel, Rex. Go ahead and finish me off." 

The dinosaur duelist scowled. "You're making this too easy, Roba! I know you've got cards in your deck that can win this for you!" He played a card face down. "That ends my turn." He felt really bad for Espa, and he was trying to keep from ending the duel, which his Two-headed Rex could've just done. 

The psychic took a deep breath, and drew a card. _Finally! I have a card to play!_ He thought, as he laid Cyber Raider on the field in Defense Mode. 

"That's much better!" Rex played another card, and ended his turn. 

"You should've attacked me, Rex. You'll see why next turn." Espa played another card face down, and stared at Rex. 

Rex frowned, wondering what his friend was up to. He drew a card, then ended his turn again. "This is more like it, Roba. I knew you had tricks up your sleeve." 

Espa smirked, as he sacrificed his Cyber Raider and Reflect Bounder to summon Jinzo. "Say hello to an old friend,Raptor." 

Rex cringed, then grinned. "I look forward to losing to him." He knew what was coming next, when his opponent laid another card face down in the Magic/Trap zone of the field. 

Espa nodded. He knew Rex understood. This was not about who won what duel. He had to get to his brothers. He looked into the stands where his headset was sitting beside Joey Wheeler. He had been forced to take it off, to prove that he was dueling legitimately. He hoped his brothers hadn't been trying to contact him. 

"Hey,Espa, it's your turn!" His friend brought him back to awareness of the now. 

"Alright. Reveal Magic card, Amplifier, and attach it to Jinzo!" Espa was beginning to understand why Joey had insisted he take Jinzo back. Like Joey's Time Wizard, Jinzo was his dueling security. He felt an overwhelming sense of confidence, just by Jinzo's appearance on the field. "I end my turn." 

"That's too bad. I reveal a magic card now. Go,De-spell! That knocks off your Jinzo's biking helmet!" 

Espa gasped, as the Amplifier card disappeared into the graveyard. "That can't be!" 

"Sorry, Roba. It's for your own good." Rex told him, as he set hisTwo-Headed Rex after Jinzo. _I'm sorry, Roba, but I can't have my sister taken away the same way Kaiba lost Mokuba. At least you'll be able to wander and find out what's going on._

Espa drew another card, shakily. If his Jinzo was attacked again, he was done. "I switch Jinzo into defense mode, and play a card face down, ending my turn." 

"I play Serpent Knight Dragon. Attack his Jinzo!"

"NO!" Espa watched in horror, as Jinzo was demolished. "My last chance….gone…." He looked up at Rex, wondering what the dinosaur duelist was thinking. _Come on, Rex…ease up! I have to get my brothers back,and I told you I would help get Monica out! _

"Looks like you're finished, Espa." Rex said softly, from beside him. 

"N-no….I can't lose, Rex! I'll lose my brothers!" Tears of frustration were beginning to form in Espa's eyes, as he ran off the field. 

Rex watched him go, feeling very guilty. 

"Hey, Raptor! What do you call that?!" Joey Wheeler glared at him. "We're supposed to be in this together, remember?!"

"We are. I played my best, he played his best. Don't you get all preachy with me, Wheeler. " Rex replied in a resigned sort of tone. He went after Espa now, with Joey closee behind him. 

******************************************************************************************

Somewhere on another field, Cedric Wilson lost to Weevil, making the total of children lost in the duels a whopping eight. He stared at the insect duelist.

"You have promise you'll find my sisters, and take care of them, Weevil." 

"I do." Weevil replied, helping his new friend stand up. "I wonder how Rex and Espa did. We should go find out." 

Cedric nodded, and followed him back to the main arena, where the stands were empty. "I think it's over. I wonder who won…" 

"That's easy to find out." Weevil pulled him along to the standings board. He looked at it until he found Rex and Espa's results. "Oh no! Espa lost!" He looked around wildly for Espa. 

"That can't be good….." Cedric replied. 

"Maybe he went back to the hotel! Come on!" Weevil dragged Cedric towards the hotel, but a suited man halted them.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Wilson cannot enter the duelists' hotel. " He told them, pulling Cedric back. 

"What are you talking about?! He IS a duelist!" Weevil exclaimed. 

"Not anymore. According my boss, I am no longer allowed to let losing duelists remain. He must be ejected from the park."

"But….My sisters!" Cedric protested, as two more men dragged him away.

"They're no longer your concern." The first man sneered, walking off. 

Weevil watched in horror, as Cedric was literally thrown out of the park, the gates locked behind him. His eyes widened behind his wire-rimmed glasses, and he raced to find Rex and the others before Espa suffered a similar fate. 

********************************************************************************************

Back in the mirror maze,the Robas and the Wilsons were fighting to stay with their group, as a horde of Lorelai's minions came to drag them away. 

"Wet her goes!" Monica Raptor tried to bite one of the men to free Alexandra. 

"Get off of me,Runt!" The man kicked her away with a foot, and Kenny scooped her up. 

"Jon!" Randi cried, as she was taken down one corridor, and her younger sisters another way. 

"Miranda!" Jon struggled to hold on to Andrew, while Christien fought of his assailant alone. 

"Donfin!" Lacey sat alone, watching her older friends being taken away from her, through teary eyes. "Tousin……" She buried her face in her hands, wanting Joey. 

"It'll be okay, Kiddo." Seto, who'd been temporarily knocked unconscious slowly became aware of what was going on. 

"Mister Kaiba!" Kenny ran to the only adult who wasn't trying to hurt them, with a terrified Monica in her arms. 

Seto stood up, and gently held Joey's cousin in his arms. "Which way did they take them?" To his displeasure, the cries and screams had vanished as soon as they were out of the corridor. 

"I….I don't know…." Kenny's voice trembled.

"Damn…." Seto patted Lacey's back gently, surprising himself with his genuine kindness to the young child. "I guess Cedric and Espa lost their duels.." 

"Mister Kaiba, how are we going to get out of here?" Kenny petted Monica's damp hair. 

"Wants brover…." The little Raptor whimpered, burying her face in Kenny's neck. 

"Same here…." Kenny muttered, hugging the little one tightly. 

"I don't know. I don't even know how they're getting around this place! It's like a zoo." Seto looked around, hearing more voices. He pulled Kenny and Monica close to him protectively, as he narrowed his eyes in the direction of the voices. 

"Who is it?" Kenny asked, her eyes widening, and wincing, as Monica dug her little fingers into her shoulder in fear. 

"I'm not sure." The CEO replied, taking a cautious step forward. "Stay close." He ordered Kenny. He returned his gaze to the blackened corridor. "Show yourselves, immediately!" He demanded furiously. He'd had enough of this maze, and this cruel host as well. 

********************************************************************************************

"Leave them alone!" Jon demanded desperately, as he watched his younger brothers, including Baby Espa, being put into glass cells, that were reminiscent of department store windows. "Please! Don't hurt the little ones!" He begged the woman in the black dress that stood in front of him now. 

"I will do what I wish." Lorelai replied with a smirk. "It won't be long until the next batch of tranquilizer is finished, then you can have your very own cage." 

Jonathan scowled at that. "My brother's gonna rip you apart!" 

Lorelai threw her head back and laughed evilly. "No chance of that, young Jonathan. He is dead to me. Didn't you hear? He lost." 

"So what?! He'll find us!" Jonathan shot back, but he didn't feel as confident as he wanted to believe he was. 

"You hope." She returned to her lab table. 

"Where's Mokuba Kaiba?!" Randi demanded from across the room. 

"He is out of my hair, for good." Lorelai replied coldly. "Just like your sisters will soon be." 

"My….NO! They're just babies!" Randi looked over at her twin sisters, who had been allowed to share a cell. "Don't worry, Alex, Cynnie. I'll get you out!" 

"Foolish child! How do you pose to do that?!" Lorelai headed towards the door to her lair, after turning on the air conditioner. "I hope it won't get too cold for you." She walked out. 

Jonathan struggled with his bonds, terrified for himself, and everyone in the room. _Espa….how could you lose?! Who did you go up against that was so tough? Joey? Weevil, perhaps? Well,I won't let you down, Big Brother. I will take care of them. I promised. _"Randi….try and get at the tape. If we can moisten it, we can get ourselves free. It's our only chance. "

Randi nodded, tears blinding her vision, as she began to gnaw. "I have to get them out. They get sick so easily. This cold will kill them." 

"Don't worry, Randi. We'll figure this out." Jon hoped he wouldn't disappoint his new friend, as he continued to gnaw. He only hoped Weevil, Joey and Rex didn't lose their next duels. If all the children were caught, it would be the end. 


	12. Breaking In

****

Chapter Twelve-Breaking In 

"Espa!" Weevil burst into the room, where Joey,Rex and Espa were talking. 

"Weevil? What's the matter? You look horrified." Joey told him. 

"Listen to me, all of you. Whoever is in charge of this schemer has changed the rules. Now whoever loses is ejected from the park!" 

"What?! That's insane! We can't just leave our siblings with them!" Espa stood up, immensely afraid. "I will not leave my brothers!" 

"That's what Cedric said, as the guards threw him out!" Weevil exclaimed. "There are only three of us left." The insect expert added. 

"Don't worry, Espa. We won't let them take you away." Joey promised,as a knock came on the door. 

"Don't answer that, it might be them!" Rex warned. "Come on, Espa. We can go to my room." He led his friend towards the door at the opposite end of the hotel suite. "I really hope Kaiba finds those creeps fast. There's no telling what's to come!" 

"I'm scared, Rex. I tried getting through to Chris and Jon. Neither of them are answering." 

"Uh oh….they've been caught, just like Mokuba." 

"Oh no……Rex, I can't let myself be caught! I have to find a way into the place, and save them!" 

"Wait a minute! There's only three of us left!" The dinosaur duelist ran back into Espa's room. "Weevil, Joey, we have to go." 

"What? Don't you think they'll get a little suspicious?" Joey looked skeptical. 

"Look, Wheeler. After the next duel, there won't be enough of us to get away. We need to stay together." Rex told him. "Especially if we want our relatives back safely." 

"I agree. We're in this together. Forget the last duels, we're getting out of here while we still can!" Weevil pronounced. 

"We can hide within the park. This place is so big, it will take them hours to find us." 

"Giving us time to find our way into that freaky mirror maze." Joey calculated. 

"Exactly!" Espa nodded his approval from the doorway, as another pounding knock came on his door. 

"We know you're in there, Mr. Roba! Come out quickly and quietly!" 

"Over our dead bodies!" Rex ,Weevil and Joey exclaimed. They looked at each other with similar grins. 

Espa sighed,grateful for his friends. "Come. We can take the fire escape." 

"Great idea, Espa." Weevil commented, as he headed down the ladder first. Joey, Rex, then Espa followed him. When they all hit the ground, they ran for an abandoned tent attraction.

******************************************************************************************

Seto stood rigidly,holding little Lacey close to him, staring into the darkness, his eyes narrowed at the figures moving toward them. He held Kenny closer to his side. 

"It's alright, Mr. Kaiba. We are here to help." Rishid Ishtar came into view, his younger siblings following him. 

Seto dropped his guard,letting out a silent sigh of relief. "How did you get here?" 

"Long story. We will tell you it later." Rishid replied, surveying the faces of the terrified girls. "We are almost too late, but no matter. We are here now." 

Marik crouched down in front of Monica,smiling kindly. "Don't be afraid. We're on your side. My sister,brother and I will help you find your way back to your family." 

Monica only nodded, burying her face in Kenny's pant leg. "Wex…."

Kenny scooped her up, looking at Marik. "Are our brothers all right?" 

"As far we know, they're fine. Cedric Wilson was thrown out of the park today upon losing to Weevil Underwood." Ishizu responded. "I would assume they are going to attempt the same thing with Espa Roba." 

"They will find that a daunting task." Seto commented. "You say you've come to help. I assume you have some sort of plan?" He glanced at the bag in Rishid's hand. 

The Egyptian man nodded now. "We do, but it is not time to put it into action. We first have to find a way into this wicked person's base." 

Seto nodded, shifting Lacey to his other side. "We've wandered this corridor for hours." 

"Then let us try another way around this place." Ishizu suggested. "My brothers and I discovered things are not what they appear to be in here." 

"We came through a mirror once already. That's how we got on this side to begin with." Kenny spoke up now. 

"Yes. Many of these mirrors will lead you to a new place in the maze." Ishizu nodded. 

"Then we should choose a couple, and see if any lead to our captor's lair." Rishid suggested. 

"A good idea. " Marik said. 

Ishizu walked over to one of the mirrors, pressing a hand to it gingerly. "This one….I feel something about it." 

"No go….." Lacey whimpered,trying to get away from Seto. 

Marik held out his arms to take Lacey from Seto. "Come here, Young One."

Lacey let the Egyptian boy take her,and she looked up at him, fearfully. "No go…..?"

"We have to find your friends. Don't you want them to be safe?" Marik asked her softly. His heart went out to the little ones having to be involved with all this. 

"Uh huh…." Lacey nodded, laying her head on Marik's shoulder gently. 

Marik smiled rubbing her back. "It is alright. We can go,Sister."

Ishizu nodded, and passed through the mirror easily, followed by the others. When she looked around her new surroundings, she gasped. "It looks like we've stumbled upon a secret, my friends." For, instead of more halls and turns, there was only one door ahead of them. The whole room was alight with a blinding white. The woman shielded her eyes, turning to her companions. "I think we're very close." 

"We will not be able to pass through to the other side so easily….there are alarms." Rishid warned. 

Kenny was sure she didn't want to know what was behind the door across the room. "Then what will we do?" 

"We will shut down their power." Ishizu looked at Rishid, with a nod. "It is time." 

Rishid opened the bag he'd been carrying, and handed out flashlights to everyone. "It's going to become very dark soon. Those will keep you safe." 

Kenny was showing Monica how to turn hers on. "See? Switch up, it's on. Switch down,it's off." 

Monica seemed to find this extremely entertaining, and she played with hers. 

Ishizu had been trying to locate a power source, found one,right in a far corner. "Come….all of you stay close. This might cause some excitement."

Marik held on to Lacey tightly, while the little girl played with her flashlight too. "Be very careful, Sister." He cautioned,as he followed her. 

"I will be." The young woman walked up to the fuse box, and studied it carefully. 

Seto kept an eye on things, in case trouble erupted while Ishizu worked. _I'm coming,Little Brother. Believe you me, these people are going to pay for what they've done! _He blinked when they were suddenly plunged into complete darkness. 

Kenny turned her flashlight on, then helped Monica. "There! Bye bye,scary darkness!"

Monica giggled. "Dark goed bye bye!" 

Marik smiled slightly, watching the littler ones play with their flashlights, then something caught his eye. "Guys….." 

"Stop where you are!" Suddenly,the group found themselves surrounded by fifteen tall,strong men. Out of the crowd, came a slim woman,with waist long hair, and brown eyes.

"I see you finally found your way into my secret base." The woman stared at them all with a glare. 

"Who are you? Answer swiftly!" Rishid demanded,stepping forward. 

"I am Lorelai Cadell. I own this amusement park."

"So you are the one in charge of this….these terrible events!" Marik raged. "Where are the rest of the children?!" 

"Oh,relax. They're all having a little nap." 

"Donfin….?" Monica question,looking up at the evil woman fearfully. 

"He sleeps as well." Lorelai replied. 

"We will stop you, no matter what! What you're doing is illegal, and you will suffer the consequences!" Rishid stated,crossing his arms. 

"We shall see….." Lorelai turned on her heels. "Get the girls. We'll need them later."She told her guards,before walking away, and exiting through the door the others had seen. 

"You'll never get close enough!" Marik backed up as a guard advanced upon him to grab Lacey. The boy held on to her tightly. "Stay away from her!" He warned. 

"Let go of me!!" Kenny delivered a satisfying kick to her assailant's gut, chasing after the man who'd grabbed Monica. 

"Wet downs!!" Monica hit her captor on the head with her flashlight. This surprised him, and he dropped her abruptly. 

"Monnie! Come on!" Kenny went to scoop her up,but was knocked back by a guard. 

Seto grabbed the man before he could touch Monica. "Run,Monica. Go hide somewhere." He knocked his opponent out with a sharp blow to the head. 

The little Raptor wouldn't leave Kenny though, and the older of the two was fighting off another guard. She walked over,and bit the attacker's ankle. "Wet her awone!" She screamed. 

Ishizu and Rishid had teamed up to take down the remaining guards. When everything was quiet again,they met with Seto and the girls. Marik was on the floor, unconscious, while Lacey shook him, sobbing.

"Mawik….?" 

"Brother!" Rishid rushed to aid his younger brother,with Ishizu close behind. 

"Him dead?" Lacey asked the eldest Ishtar. 

"No….he is merely sleeping. I can see his chest rising." Ishizu answered for Rishid softly. She picked the shaken child up. "He will be okay, I promise." 

"Look, you guys. The door is still open!" 

"Then they are foolish." Seto growled,feeling more angry by the minute. "Everyone stay close. We're going in." 


	13. Journey into the Maze

****

Chapter Thirteen-Journey into the Maze 

Once they were safely out of sight, Espa looked at his friends. "The first thing we have to do is get Cedric back into the park. We're a team, and we can't function without him." 

"Yeah, I know. He was really upset." Weevil replied. "However, the gates are heavily guarded how are we going to get to him?" 

"Who said we had to go that way? We can climb the fence, can't we?" Rex suggested. 

"Yeah. There's more than one way to get around them." Joey agreed. His mind was on Lacey, and the others of course. "Do you think they're okay?" 

"I hope so. Kendra gets really weak sometimes. It's her disability. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong." Weevil added, a note of defensiveness in his last statement. 

"We didn't say anything, Weevil. We know your sister is different, but she's very strong. Jonathan actually fears playing soccer against her." Espa said softly. "She's considered to be their school's best player." 

Weevil sighed. "I just hope she's okay in there." 

"I'm sure she's fine." Joey reassured him. The Brooklyn boy looked ahead, at the tall iron gates. "Here goes nothin'…." 

********************************************************************************************

"Marik…brother? Are you alright?" Rishid looked down at his younger brother in great concern. 

"I…I've just got a terrible headache. It's nothing worse than what we've already been through. Where's Lacey?!" 

"I have her,Marik." Ishizu walked up ahead of Kenny and Seto, to join her brothers, with the sleeping Lacey in her arms. "She was really worried about you." 

Marik touched the small girl's back gently. "She was very courageous to try and stop them from hurting me." 

His older sister nodded. "Yes, she was." She looked over at Seto and Kenny. "Are you two alright?" 

"I'm okay." Seto replied. He was carrying Monica in his arms now. He looked over at Weevil's sister, who seemed to be weakening. "Kenny?" 

Kenny looked up at Seto, forcing herself to stand straighter. "I'm fine." 

"Don't kid yourself." Seto said, shaking his head. He looked down at Monica. "Can you walk a little bit, Little one?" 

"Uh huh." Monica slid down out of Seto's arms, and gripped his right sleeve in her little fist. 

Seto smiled slightly at that, remembering how Mokuba used to do that, before picking Kendra up, and cradling her. "Okay, we're ready to go now." 

Rishid nodded, and led the way through the white door. "It's getting colder as we go." He observed. 

"Yes." Marik said, shivering. He smiled a little when Rishid held him closer,to keep him warm. He noted that the younger girls were shivering horribly, and he looked at Ishizu. "Have we nothing to keep the small ones warm? Cold such as this will get them sick." 

Ishizu shook her head. "This, we were not prepared for." 

Seto grunted, removing his long coat, and wrapping it around Kenny. "If it is as cold where the others are as it is here, they're in real trouble." He glanced down at Monica, worriedly. He didn't have anything to wrap her in. "Just stick close to me,Monica. I'll try to keep you as warm as possible." 

"Shh! Listen to that!" Marik exclaimed suddenly,sitting up in Rishid's arms abruptly. Ahead of them was the sound of children crying and whining. "That sounds like the Robas!" The Egyptian boy scrambled out of his elder brother's arms. "Come! We have to help them!" 

"Marik wait!" Rishid ran after his younger brother. "It could be a trap, or distraction!" 

Ishizu motioned for Kaiba and the others to stay put, while she went to examine the situation further. "I will tell you if it is safe." She went to join her brothers. After a minute, she looked up at Seto and the girls. "It is them." She said gravely. 

Seto growled under his breath. "Do you hear my brother?" 

Marik listened harder. "No. He must be elsewhere." The anger he'd felt towards this Lorelai Cadell burned in him all the more. "We must get in there to get the others out." 

"Yes, we must." Ishizu agreed. She continued down the hall, trying to find the door where the cries were the loudest. 

"Carefuly, Ishizu." Rishid said softly, following behind his sister to protect her.

"Brover in dere?" Monica asked Seto hopefully. 

"Who's your brother?" The CEO asked. 

"Rex Raptor is." Kenny answered barely above a whisper. 

"I don't think so, Sweetheart. But don't worry! We'll find him soon!" Seto hastened to added, seeing the child's face begin to crumble. He patted her with his free hand. "These bad people are going to pay, I promise you. No family deserves to go through this!" 

Rishid arched an eyebrow at Seto. _He certainly has changed since we met him. He's not as cold as he tries to have us believe. _Rishid chuckled to himself. 

Ishizu smiled, sharing Rishid's thoughts. "Come. We get the others out now."

*****************************************************************************************

Cedric looked at Espa in disbelief, when his friend climbed over the iron gate post. "Are you mad?! You have a chance to save your brothers!" 

"Not without you, I don't." Espa smiled. "We all came here together, and that's how we're leaving." The psychic confirmed it, pointing up. Weevil, Rex, and Joey peered over the gate top. "Come on. We're going into the maze ourselves to find our families." 

Cedric looked skeptical. "Won't the entrance be guarded?" 

"I don't think so. Not anymore." Espa said. "The owner of the park has probably dispatched their guards to find us by now." He turned to scale up the gate once more. "Besides, they've made me really mad. That's a bad thing." He climbed back over, then helped Cedric over. 

"Welcome back, man." Joey clapped Cedric on the back. 

"Thanks….I don't know how to thank you…..all of you.." Cedric wasn't used to having a group of friends like this. It had always been just him and his sisters. 

"You don't have to, Man. We've all become like family this weekend. Families stick together!" And as he said it, Joey realized how true it was. Even Kaiba in his own way, had become part of their family. "Come on. Let's go get our youngest members back!" 

Espa led them cautiously across the park, keeping out of sight of the guards. When they reached the entrance to the maze, he looked at everyone. "We'll have to split up here. This place is big, and the three remaining children could be anywhere within it." 

"Into pairs with one group of three, then?" Weevil asked, after noting the uneven number they held. 

"Yes. Cedric, you, me and Joey will stay together." Espa looked at Rex and Weevil. "Are you two going to be okay together?" 

"Yeah. This isn't a duel you know." Rex just wanted to hold Monica in his arms again. 

"I know." Espa said quietly, muttering to himself. "Alright. Everyone stay with each other. If you get split up, don't try to find each other, because it might make it worse. "

"Alright." Weevil agreed. "Let's go already!" 

Espa nodded, and taking a deep breath, he led everyone into the maze. 


	14. Little E's Psychic Discovery

****

Chapter Fourteen-Little E's Psychic Discovery

"E! Can hear me?" Andrew banged on the fiberglass partition that seperated him from his baby brother. Christien had already passed out, and Andrew was fighting it. He had to make sure his baby brother was okay, but the baby wasn't moving either. "E!"

The baby stirred, slightly, looking over at his older brother. " 'drew!" 

"E…." Andrew felt himself starting to give into the tranquilizer Lorelai had administered to them all. 

The littlest Roba pulled himself up on to his hands and knees, looking at him. "No sweep! We det outs!" He began to cry, instantly, when Andrew dropped off. The baby Roba sat there in his glass prison, watching the people he loved drop off one by one. He was getting very scared. There was no one to protect him, yet, somehow, the baby knew he would have to get them out. His eyes,blury from tears, caught sight of the control panel. With all his thought on it, the baby managed to move the controls to turn the air conditioning off. He looked over at the others, who were still bound to their chairs with tape. He beat his little fists on the glass, trying to get his older brother Jon's attention. "Donfin!" 

Jonathan moaned, then looked up at E's prison. "E! You're alright…." 

Little E smiled in delight, seeing that one of them was still conscious. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to send a mental message to his brother. ~~Jonfin, I fink I habe madic wike Epa.~~

Jon's eyes widened, when he realized what was going on. "It can't be….two psychics in one family?!" 

~~Fink so.~~ The baby studied his brother's expression. ~~I gets us outs!!~~. 

His older brother just shook his head in disbelief. Why were his baby brother's abilities just now working? Why couldn't they've helped before? "Can you see a way out, E?" 

~~Yesh. People toming.~~ The little Roba stared at the door as the knob was being turned. ~~Dey can't gets in.~~

Jon turned as far as his bonds allowed him, to stare at the door. "Hello?!" 

"Jonathan?" Seto Kaiba's voice came through the door. 

"Mr. Kaiba!" Jon was elated. 

~~Taiba!!~~ Little Espa giggled happily. 

"Is my brother with you, Mr. Kaiba?" Jon asked, worried about Espa. 

"No. He is somewhere in the park. We're trying to get the door open." Seto looked at the others in his group. The relief he felt was echoed on their faces. "We have to get them out." 

"Yes, we do." Ishizu went to the door now. "Jonathan, is everyone alright in there?" 

Jonathan did a quick evaluation of the state of his friends. "Yeah. But we've still not seen Mokuba anywhere!"

"We will find him, I'm sure." Marik assured Jon. 

Little E had been working on the catch that would release him from his prison. Using his newfound telekinesis, Baby Espa got the prison open. 

"Marik Ishtar? What are you doing here?" Jonathan asked. 

"Helping." The Egyptian boy heard the click of something in the room. "What was that?" 

Jonathan looked over at E. "It's my baby brother! He's gotten out of his cage!" The second oldest Roba blinked in surprise, as the baby toddled over to him, now, and started yanking the tape that held him prisoner. 

Ishizu looked at the others. "Finally, his powers have come into being. They couldn't have come at a better time." She smiled knowingly at Kaiba's obvious disbelief. "You still doubt things after Battle City then?" 

"Magic is strictly for fairy tales. The lock on his prison must've been faulty." CEO grunted. 

"Mr. Kaiba, if it was, he still couldn't have gotten it open." Kenny spoke up now. "Little Espa is only two." 

"Maybe, maybe not." Seto replied. "Can't we get the door open?" He wanted to see with his own eyes that this baby was setting people free. 

"I tan." Little Espa headed for the door. He was already weakening considerably from fighting the tranquilizer, but he had to help where he could. 

"Take it easy, Little Brother." Jonathan stood up, free from his chair. "I'm free now. I can help." The elder of the two conscious Robas looked around for something useful, and decided to start by freeing Randi. "Little E, you've got to find our headsets. We need to let Espa know where this place is." 

"I get in minute." The baby agreed, as the lock turned on the door he'd been focusing on. Kenny walked into the room, having gotten out of Seto's arms. "Jonathan….where's Chris?" 

"Over there. I can't figure out the controls to open the rest of them." Jon bent over Randi, trying to wake her up. "Come on, Rands…get up." 

"Let me have her." Rishid walked over, speaking quietly. "You children are not alone anymore." 

Jonathan backed off, and tried to help Kenny free the others. Suddenly, he heard a horrifying sound. "An alarm! We've been busted!" 

"Do not fear. You will be hurt no more." Ishizu said firmly. 

"Donfin!" Lacey ran to her older friend's arms, excitedly. 

"Lacey! Thank goodness you are safe!" Jon scooped her up, as he studied the prison controls. "E, which control is it?" 

~~One next to bwack.~~ The baby replied via telepathy. He'd been trying to locate his oldest brother. ~~Tan't finds Epa..~~ The baby looked like he was ready to cry. 

"Shh…" Marik scooped him up. "We will find the others, Small One. I think Jonathan is right though. The rest of us aren't psychic, and we'd very much like to let Espa and the others with him know that you are safe." He looked up at his siblings. He heard that horrible Lorelai in the corridors. "She's coming for them!" 

"No!" Lacey held on to Jonathan,clinging tightly. 

"Don't worry, Lace. I'm not going away again." He'd found the control, and the glass prisons swung open. "Andy, Chris! Wake up!" 

"Five more minutes, Espa……" Christien replied drowsily. 

Jon chuckled. "No, Chris. You've to get up now! We're free!" 

Monica, meanwhile, had crawled inside Andrew's cage. "Up, Andy! We gets out,find Wex!" 

"Monnie?" The third youngest Roba stirred, and curled the girl close to him. "She catched you?" 

"No, Andrew, get out of there. Lorelai's coming back! Look, the Ishtars and Mokuba's brother are here to save us!" Christien was at his brother's side now. "I'm going to get our headsets back!" He left the prison area, and went searching up a set of stairs the others hadn't seen. 

Jon got Andrew out his prison, and after detaching a clinging Monica, managed to carry Andrew to the adults. He looked around. Lorelai's footsteps had subsided, and he worried about what that might mean for them. He called up to Christien now. "Did you find them?!" 

"Yes. They're here!" Christien turned one on, and tossed the other below to Jonathan. "Espa! Big Brother, can you hear me??" He waited patiently for a reply, hoping Espa had his turned on. 

******************************************************************************************

"This place is creeping me out!" Joey exclaimed, as they turned another corner. "I don't know how those little guys managed to stay so strong!" 

"The same way we did. They were all enemies too, remember? Especially Kenny and my brothers." Espa told the Brooklyn boy. "Lacey wouldn't have known to be an enemy. She was only five when we had our duel." 

"They had to learn to work together, just like us." Rex commented. "I guess we all learned something valuable this weekend." The dinosaur duelist was certain that after this ordeal, none of them would speak ill of each other again. Even Kaiba. "Monica was so happy to see Andrew though. I didn't realize they were in the same kindergarten class." 

"I tried to tell you that." Espa told his friend. "Mokuba and Jonathan are in the same classes too." He added, as he heard a faint hum from his headset. "My brothers!" He adjusted his set, and flipped the switch all the way on. "Jon, Chris?!"

"Big Brother! Thank God you're safe!" Christien's voice sounded nearly broken. "We're in this woman Lorelai's lair. Seto Kaiba and the Ishtars are with us." 

"The Ishtars?" Espa was only slightly surprised. "Is everyone alright? Monica and them?" He looked over at Rex, Weevil, Joey and Cedric. 

"Yes. Although, Monica's a little upset about being away from Rex." Jon spoke now. 

"I have an idea. Give her your headset." Espa handed his own to Rex. "Your sister isn't handling separation very well." 

"I didn't think she would." Rex spoke carefully into the mouthpiece. "Monnie?" 

Monica's eyes widened, then filled with tears as she replied to her older brother's voice. "Wex! Tome finds me…." 

Rex's voice almost cracked. "I'm trying, Baby. We're going to see each other really really soon, I promise!" 

"I love yous, Wex…." Monica replied tearfully. 

"I love you most." Rex said softly. "Hang in there, Baby Sister. Brother's coming." He handed the set back to Espa, as Weevil put a hand on his shoulder. "That witch is going to pay for this!" 

"Yes she is, you better believe it!" Joey agreed in anger. 

Espa was talking quietly to Jon and Chris. "He did what?! It must be true then! He's like me!" 

"He couldn't get you though. It must be he's not strong enough to do long distance telepathy yet." Christien decided aloud. 

"That could very well be it." Espa agreed. "So everyone's alright?" 

"Yes, but we haven't seen Mokuba for a long time. That scares me." Jonathan said. 

"I'm sure he'll turn up eventually. In the meantime, I want you guys to stay with the Ishtars and Kaiba. No more splitting up." 

"Yes, Espa. We intend to. Robas signing off." Christen looked down at Jonathan, sending a silent message to him. 

Jon nodded, as he handed Alexandra Wilson to Rishid. . "We should go, Mr. Kaiba."

"I'm not leaving without Mokuba!" Seto replied through gritted teeth. 

"Then you're going to put them all in danger again." Rishid told him,as he watched a recovered Randi talk to Kenny. "Your brother would want his friends safe, would he not?"

"I know he would." Marik said suddenly, hugging Cynthia Wilson to him. "If Lorelai hasn't come back yet, she still might. We need to get as far from here as we can." 

"Marik is right. Come." Ishizu led the group of still groggy children out of the room, and down the corridor, which they had come. She looked back at them all, sadly. _This has been a very tiring weekend for them all. It's so sad that people have to hurt innocent children this way. _

"We're out!" Christien proclaimed needlessly, holdiing on to Andy now. 

"Yes, but the danger is far from over. Do you really think that evil woman will just let us walk out of the mirror maze?" Jonathan asked, as he held on to Lacey. 

"Maybe not, but you needn't worry about that. We will deal with it." Marik told the young Roba. 

Kenny was walking beside Randi, with Monica in her arms. "Are you okay, Randi?" 

"Yes. I'm just exhausted." 

"That makes two of us." Kenny smiled a little. "I can't wait to see my brother again." 

"Ditto for me." Randi grinned. "Cedric's probably going mental if their in here. He's scared of everything!"

"Not Weevil. He's not even afraid of Yugi Moutou." 

"Why would he be?" Randi asked. She'd never seen or heard of Yugi. 

"You don't know about Yugi?!" Kenny was incredulous. "He beat my brother in four turns in duel monsters!" 

"Then my brother better stay clear of him!" Randi giggled. The girls continued to catch up, as they walked on. 


	15. One Last Meeting

****

Chapter Fifteen-One Final Meeting

Mokuba kicked the vent cover hard. He'd been stuck in the same duct for two days. He knew Lorelai was looking for him, and he'd done a good job of keeping ahead of her. Thankfully, all those times of being kidnapped were finally coming in handy. Appearently, no one had warned Lorelai Cadell he was an escape artist. The young Kaiba finally got the cover off, and jumped down into a darkened corridor. He recognized it instantly, as the one he'd been in with Christien, only it had been filled with light before. Up ahead of him, he heard voices. Very familiar voices. He was afraid to call out until he was sure though,in case it was a trick. The boy inched towards the voices, as his eyes adjusted to the dark. 

"I can't wait to hold my brothers close to my side again. I'll never complain about them again!" Espa Roba was saying. 

"I know the feelin'. I'm just really glad it wasn't Serenity involved. Although, knowing her, she'd probably say it was much worse to involve Lacey!" Joey commented. 

Mokuba edged into view. "Joey! Hey,Joey!" 

"Mokuba! You're alright!" Espa smiled at his brother's best friend. 

"Yeah. I got away from her, before she could put me to sleep too." Mokuba told them. "Have you heard from the others?" 

"Just a while ago. Your brother and the Ishtars are with them in Lorelai's lair." Espa informed the young Kaiba. "Can you tell us where it is?" 

"Yeah,but we'll have to be very careful. Her henchmen are still looking for me." 

"Eh…probably us too." Rex spoke up now. He looked at the others. "Well, let's go. I'm tired of being without my sister!"

"Ditto." Weevil and Cedric chorused. 

"All right, Mokuba. Lead the way." Espa said quietly.

**********************************************************************************

Meanwhile, underneath the labyrinth, the group of children, and the three older chaperones had run into a dead end. They were stuck in the long hall that contained Lorelai's lair. 

"She'll takes 'way…." Monica whimpered. 

"Oh no she won't!" Kenny insisted. "We've got Seto Kaiba, and the Ishtars on our side now!" 

"That's right, and I promise you, no one will touch you children again." Marik added firmly. 

Jonathan was holding on to Little E tightly. The psychic baby had fallen asleep, presumably due to overexertion of his newfound gift. "Christien, how's Andrew?" 

"He's asleep again. She must've dosed him really good." Chris' voice held a note of hatred that was unnatural for the Roba clan. 

"No matter. She will get hers." Rishid assured the Robas. 

"Is that so, Mr. Ishtar? I hate to point out the obvious, but you are in no position to be making threats such as that." Lorelai spoke up now. She'd crept up behind them. 

The younger children shrank back against the older ones, the youngest breaking into tears,crying for their older siblings. 

Rishid was still holding Alex Wilson in his arms, and he held on to her even tighter now. "It is alright, Small one. She won't hurt you." 

"That is where you are wrong!" Lorelai announced. 

"Where's my brother, you wicked woman!" Seto spoke up now. 

"I don't know. The little brat escaped!" 

"Yes! Go Mokuba!" Jonathan couldn't help but smirk. 

"Celebrate while you can, you pathetic excuse for a child! We will find him. In the meantime, all of you will return to your cellls, now!" As she said that, Lorelai was passed by several of her guards, who headed for the children. 

"No!" Little E woke up suddenly, staring at the guards wide-eyed. 

"Yes!" One lunged for him. 

Jonathan backed up, holding his brother tightly. "Leave us alone!" He cried out, as another grabbed him from behind. 

"Jonathan!" A very welcome voice called out. 

"Espa!" Christien and Andrew chorused, fighting off their respective assailants. 

"Get away from them! Now!"Espa commanded angrily. There was a very dangerous tone in his voice; a tone the younger Robas had never heard before. 

"Make us!" The guards chided. 

Espa turned to the others. "Get them out of here." 

"But Big Brother…." Jon began.

"NOW!" Espa ordered. 

Ishizu and the others ushered the children out of the way, and through the place which Espa and the others had come from. 

"Show yourself, Ms. Cadell!" Espa commanded, an anger rising him that he'd long since put to rest. 

"Espa Roba…. We meet again." The woman came into view. 

"What do you want with me and my friends?!" 

"Really,I just needed them out of my way to get to you and your brothers." Lorelai told him calmly. 

"Why?! What have we done to you? We don't even know you!" Espa exclaimed in exasperation. 

"Oh, I assure you, Roba, you know me. I was the main attraction until your family showed up with it's "pyschic" claims! Then it turned out your were frauds! But still Lyle refused to fire you!" 

"The….the carnie queen! Lorelai Butler! But why go through all the trouble of setting up duels?!" 

"To catch your attention of course. I knew how much you loved the dueling arena." The woman glared at him. "And now, I have you and your pesky brothers where I want you!" 

"You will not win, you wretched woman! Little Espa wasn't even born when we were there! And as for us being frauds, you are sorely mistaken!" Espa took a deep breath, concentrating really hard. "You're going to pay for what you've done!" 

Lorelai smirked. "You can't do anything to me, little boy!" Suddenly, the woman's eyes widened, as she was lifted to the ceiling. "What….what are you doing to me?!" 

"Giving you a demonstration of the power I am more than capable of using, and believe me, this isn't all of it!" Espa had a look of pure hatred plain on his face. 

"Please! Get me down! It's starting to burn!!" Lorelai's face twisted in pain. 

"It's a lot less than you deserve!" Espa informed her. 

"Espa! Put her down!" The psychic could hear Rex's voice from behind him. "Come on, man! Let the police deal out the punishment!" 

With a very deeps sigh of reluctance, Espa let the woman drop, walking to his brothers. 

***************************************************************************************

Seto was already on the phone by the time Espa rejoined them. "Just get the police here now, damn it!" The CEO ordered, before hanging up. He was holding Mokuba in his right arm tightly. "She is going to jail for a very long time." 

"That's good then!" Rishid announced, looking around, as the reunion of siblings and relatives commenced. 

"Oh Kenny….I'll never treat you so wrong again!" Weevil held on to his tearful younger sister tightly. 

"I missed you so much, Weevil. If it weren't for you, I would've never made it through all that therapy to re-teach myself to walk . You were my strength, Brother. Not Mom,and not Dad. You." The younger Underwood told him. 

"Me? But I was so mean…." Weevil felt even worse. 

"That never bothered me, Weevil. You were there when it counted most." The Underwoods hugged each other tightly. 

In another corner, Lacey and Joey were having their own reunion. "Cousin Joey's so sorry, Lace. I will never put my dueling before you again."

"It's tay, Tousin." The little girl wrapped her arms around Joey tightly. "We see 'Renity soon?" 

"Yeah….She'll be back home tomorrow." Joey smiled, rubbing her back. 

Rex held on to his baby sister tightly. "Shhh….Brother's here now. We're going to be going home in the morning,Monica. "

"Neber weave aden!" Monica ordered through her tears. 

"I don't plan on it. And if I do, you'll be right there with me!" Rex assured her, before looking over at Espa and his crew. "Hey…Roba…." 

Espa looked up, from his group hug. "Yes?" 

"Thanks. We would've never gotten through this without you." 

"You're wrong. I didn't do this, Rex." Espa looked around at everyone. "We all did. Every one of us." He looked up at Ishizu, Marik and Rishid. "You three are amazing. How is it you always know when your friends are in trouble?" 

"You are not the only one with premonitions, Mr. Roba." Rishid told him softly, with a secretive smile at Marik. 

"Speaking of being psychic, how come your little brother's powers only worked recently? We could've used that early on." Kenny spoke up. 

"It must've been triggered by his intense fear of everyone leaving him. He must've mistaken the mere tranquilizer for a poison, and thought his brothers and friends were dying." Espa guessed. "That's how my powers started too." 

"That makes perfect sense!" Randi remarked. "I read a book about Psychics once. But it was nothing like you and your brother, Espa." 

The eldest Roba chuckled. "Probably not. Most books are not." He turned, and with his brothers beside him once more, headed for the hotel. 

"Hey,Espa!" Joey called now. 

Espa turned to look at Joey. "Yeah?" 

"Tomorrow night,my place. We're going to watch movies." He looked at everyone. "What the heck! You're all invited!" 

Seto grunted. "Like I'll have time for that! This has been a wasted weekend!" He led Mokuba to their helicopter. "Come on Mokuba. You can see your new friends in school on Monday." The Kaiba Corporation helicopter departed moments later.

"That ungrateful creep! He'll never change!" Joey shook his fist at the departing aircraft. "You owe me on, Kaiba! You hear me?!" 

Rex shook his head in amusement. "Let it go, Wheeler. Let's get out of here. I don't want to stay another night in this creepy place!" 

Everyone nodded in agreement, heading for the charter bus. 

****************************************************************************************

"You kids back all ready?" The bus driver looked at his watch. "I just dropped you off an hour ago." 

"What?" Espa stared at him in disbelief. 

"It's only been an hour?! That's nuts! We've been gone for two days!" Joey exclaimed.

"Are you lot alright? It's still only ten o'clock." The driver showed Espa his watch. 

"Impossible!" Sure enough, the watch said ten o'clock. What was even more astounding was that the date was also the same as it had been when they'd all departed from the bus! Espa shook his head, staring back at the park gates, with a shiver. "Well, whatever the case, we want to be as far as we can get from here as fast as we can get there!" His friends nodded in agreement, and they all boarded the bus. 

As the bus carried them farther from the park, Espa listened to the snatches of conversation around him. Jonathan and Kendra were talking about the upcoming soccer season, while Andrew and Monica talked about Show and Tell. Whatever had happened in that Park, Espa knew that forevermore, he would never have to cope with raising his brothers alone again. He had true friends now. He looked over at Cedric and smiled. His sisters were all playing with Baby Espa. The baby Roba seemed to relish the attention, but also seemed to be more settled,as if his ear infection never existed. Espa was glad of that. He took one last glance at Thunderbourough, before sighing in contentment, and falling into as well earned nap. 

(A/N: And that completes my first Roba fic ever. I hope you have all enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed,and especially to Melissa, who as always supports me. Daisy, for encouraging me to try my hand at a mystery fic in the first place,Ron aka Raky for reviewing it,and pushing me to finish what I start!) 


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